The Observer
by ThisCharmingWoman
Summary: Experience Twilight from a different set of eyes. Annie McCord is a 17 yr old resident of Forks and has witnessed everything and anything in town, including the Cullen's & Bella's arrivals and the relationship between Bella&Edward. Full synopsis inside!
1. Chapter 1 Forks

**A/N: This is the first chapter to my new fan fiction. It's very much in progess and updates won't be as quick as Hybrid's were, but I wanted to give you guys a bit of a sneak peak at what I'm working on and to get some feedback as to what you think. Every chapter begins with a journal entry and the three asterisks (***) are there to let you know that's the end of the journal entry. Just a bit about it before I get into the synopsis: Basically, it begins before Bella arrives to Forks, and then follows the events from her arrival up to her birthday, where Twilight ends. Everything is witnessed through the main character, who you will meet soon as you read on. I hope you like it, please review, I'd really love to hear your thoughts about it! Thanks :)**

**Synopsis**

Annie McCord has been a resident of Forks her entire life and has and obsessive need to observe the actions of those around her. She's been witness to anything and everything in Forks, including the Cullen's arrival to Forks 2 years before Bella's. Annie grows particularly fond of watching the Cullen family because of how strangely different they are from everyone else in Forks. The Observer allows you to see the events of Twilight through someone else's eyes, take witness to things Bella never saw and relive the love and relationship between Bella and Edward. Also, see a different side of the Cullen's as Annie slowly tries to unravel their secret by watching their every move.

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Twilight. I'm simply making use of the wonderful world Stephenie Meyer created :)

* * *

**Introduction**

Forks, Washington, a town seemingly innocent enough with its small population and dreary weather. Nothing extraordinary would ever happen here, no one famous would think to come here, no scandals emerge through the grape vine; it's normal. Or so you thought. Forks is home to great, dark secrets and of beings you would never even dream of existing. They say it's the big, busy cities you have to watch out for because they harbour all kinds of criminals and scandals, but I beg to differ. Fear the small, tight knit towns. Sure, everyone puts on a happy face but you don't know what goes on behind closed doors, between friends or between lovers. Forks keeps one heck of a secret underneath all of this rain and thick blankets of green. Enclosed in the pages of this journal is every piece of valuable information about this little town, its residents and, most importantly, their secrets.

**Who Am I? That's One Secret I Will Tell**

My name is Annie McCord, I'm seventeen and a student at Forks High School. I've lived in Forks my entire life and therefore know everyone in town pretty well. I suppose I get a bit lost in the shuffle, although that may be hard to believe in a small town such as ours. I'm a bit reserved and quiet, even introverted if you want to call me that. I've been accused of being anti-social as well, which isn't entirely false. I'm not too keen on casual interaction with people I don't know. I'd rather watch their every move. You're probably wondering why I observe others so closely, why I'm so withdrawn. I guess I'll get this tid bit about myself out of the way now, because I owe a lot to this particular point of my life. Quite bluntly, the death of my mom is the reason for it. I was nine when she died, but she had been sick for a couple years before that. My mom and I were really close, I confided in her more than I did any other person. When she got sick I spent all of my time with her. When she became too weak to speak, I learned how to decipher slight movements or sounds she'd make when she needed something. I guess that's where it all started. I would sit there by her side for hours, watching her every move. She was the first subject of my observations. Observing her had become second nature to me, like a new language. I'd have full out conversations with her and know her replies to whatever I was telling her just by the subtle vibration of her eyelids, or the slight tug at the corner of her lips. She was listening, communicating, even when she said nothing at all, even when her lips ceased to part. After she died I felt like I didn't have anyone to share my random musings with, to be myself around. I only had myself. I stopped talking to people for a really long time, only communicating with myself and the mental notes of observations I made about other people. The funeral was when I hit the observer's jackpot. People would come by, offering condolences, but there were sly gestures, twitches, and humphs that suggested other thoughts beyond a simple 'I'm sorry for your loss'. One of my favourites from that day was the flutter of Ms. Gordon's eyelashes towards my mourning father, suggesting a flirtatious attitude behind the tears that fell from her eyes. People never cease to amaze me.

Anyhow, since that particular event in my life, I've found more comfort in my own company and in the keys of my laptop- where I'm free to express my every thought and emotion without boundaries- than I do with my peers. So, it should be of no surprise that I spend a lot of my time alone in the comforts of the four plain, bare, lilac walls of my bedroom. My walls have been that color since I was seven and had an unhealthy obsession with the color purple. I was bored of it now, but never found the drive to change it. Not much can keep my interest for very long, except for the unpredictable actions of other people that I so happily take witness to.

I'm a quiet observer of sorts. I relish in watching others in social situations, listening to their conversations and examining their movements as they interact with others. You can learn a lot by the way a person positions themselves in their seat in accordance to who their with, how they shift in their movements while in the middle of a conversation, or the way their facial expression changes when no one is looking at them. It's fascinating. Living in the house next to that of the Chief of police, Charlie Swan, seemed almost too convenient for an observer such as myself. I'd always leave my window open just a crack whenever Charlie would stop by to talk to my dad, good old Francis McCord, about the criminal happenings of our little town. Unfortunately, the chances of anything remotely criminal happening in Forks was rare to none. But every so often something would stir the peace, rumours would spread and Charlie would know about it. Then it was unknowingly passed on to me, the quiet observer next door. Observing others became like a reflex for me after a while and soon I began to do it subconsciously. At first, the people of Forks were interesting in how they would be so humble with their friends, then gossip to others about how Helen is flirting with the gardener or that Patrick has been sleeping in a motel for the past few days because Grace threw him out. But the insipid chatter of my fellow neighbours failed to amuse me any longer. I still observed others, for it was what I did best, but not as thoroughly and intently as I had before.

High school was a different story. That's when observations were most enjoyable. The small scandals between gossipy friends and the break ups and hook ups of couples had proven to be very entertaining. Things were always changing, every day was a new scene and one I took great joy in immersing myself into. There's always an unrequited love floating around somewhere, which made things quite appealing. But all too quickly, the happenings of the same people tends to lose its lustre and for a while, I hushed the alertness of my tendency to observe. But all changed the day the Cullens moved to our little town. My world was shaken, stirred and flopped upside down at their arrival. A light began to grow deep inside and the observer inside me yearned to escape. Who was I to keep the observer within at bay? I hadn't the strength, nor the patience. I unleashed it and have never in my life been addicted to anything as much as the actions of this particular family.

***

"Hey Kitten, aren't you hungry?" Dad hollered from the bottom of the short flight of stairs situated behind the wall next to the step in the floor that separated the living room from the kitchen. Our house wasn't the biggest house out there, but it was big enough for Dad and I to live comfortably and allowed us each to have our space. I rolled my eyes, finished typing the last sentence of my journal entry, closed the lid of my laptop, slid it off to the side and hopped out of bed. No one knew about my journal and no one ever would. It was something I did for myself, to keep track of my observations and any scandal going on with the townspeople, plus my own commentary. It gave me something to do and allowed me to observe with a purpose.

"Dad, I hate when you call me that." I said, skipping down the last step. He always used pet names for me and I've hated every single one. Kitten was new, I think he got it off of one of those old TV shows depicting a perfect family. News flash, we're missing a particularly important piece of that nuclear family. I can't blame him for wanting that perfect family, though. He's always trying so hard to make everything easier, even after all these years. Mom's death was really hard on him, but he never failed to be a great dad. But, greatness and all, one thing I could not stand was his little pet names.

"Sorry, pumpkin. Come on and have some supper." He said, sliding a plate of spaghetti down the table towards my seat. I grimaced as I took my seat. Dad contorted his body around the corner of the counter and took a seat across from mine, both of us occupying the end seats of the table.

I absent-mindedly swirled spaghetti around my fork when good ol' Francis, as I liked to refer to him as, parted his lips and let out a deep breath. A conversation was brewing beneath that breath.

"So, I bumped into Carlisle Cullen today down at the hospital. He's such a fine fellow, Forks is lucky to have a doctor such as him. He could be getting big bucks somewhere else, you know, but he chose to come here. And those kids of his, so well behaved." He continued, pausing between mouthfuls of pasta. All of what he said was just fine and dandy, but only one part of it stood out.

"What were you doing at the hospital?" I asked, my hand ceasing to twirl spaghetti around the fork.

"Well, I was..." He took in a deep breath here, his chest elevating and his eyes diverting to the living room. He was hiding something from me, something I knew I wouldn't be too fond of. He coughed slightly before finishing his sentence. "picking Grace up for lunch."

Grace, a nurse from the hospital. She had a good reputation and was kind and generous, what with devoting most of her time to the hospital and all. But Grace didn't fool me, not the slightest bit. First of all, she was a divorcee, which said quite a lot about how well she is with committed relationships. She threw poor Patrick, a quiet electrician and heck of a kind man, out of her house for no apparent reason. But, I of course knew the real reason for the abrupt end to their marriage. Grace had been overcome by Dr. Cullen's handsomeness and even had the gull to pursue him. Patrick found out and Grace had the nerve to kick _him_ out. Clearly, my opinions of her were not of the highest spirits. Grace was just like so many of the people I'd come to know too well through my observations. She seemed sweet and kind to the blind eye, but behind closed doors she was devious, working with ulterior motives. To know such a woman was fooling around with my dad wasn't news I wanted to hear.

I felt my throat constrict and for a moment was unable to speak. I stabbed my fork into the spaghetti, swirling with such force that the metal screeched against the ceramic plate.

"Annie, that's enough. I know it's tough, but come on mom's been gone for almost eight years now, Pumpkin." My father, genetically fused to me for life, replied to my actions. The anger continued to brew in me so profoundly that I could feel my bones begin to rattle. I could see him try to hide his disappointment in me to spare my feelings, but he couldn't fool me. To remind me of a fact that is practically burned into my brain was totally unnecessary and I couldn't sit in his presence anymore. This is why I retreated so often to those four walls of my room, because everyone had something to hide, nobody was ever honest right off the bat and the only time honesty showed itself was in the heat of an argument, bound to sting one of the parties involved.

"I'm well aware how long it's been, dad. You can do whatever you want, I don't care." I threw my fork down and scooted back in my chair, about to leave.

"Annie, I'm sorry. Please don't leave, finish your supper. Let's talk about this, you never talk to me or to anyone." He called out to me, remorse clear in his voice. Whether it was genuine I couldn't be sure, I didn't have the chance to figure it out. I scooted forward in my seat, preparing myself for the pitiful lecture that would follow.

"I don't have anything to say." I said robotically in a hushed tone as I stared down at my plate of half-eaten spaghetti.

"I'm worried about you. You're always up in your room by yourself, sometimes I'm amazed you even remember the English language since you rarely ever use it." He continued, anger escalating, then dwindling as he spoke. He sighed and suddenly a hope arose in his face as his eyebrows lifted, his eyes bulging and his lips parting in an 'O' shape. "You know, Charlie's daughter, Isabella, is moving in with him this week. I think he said she's seventeen, just like you! Isn't that exciting?" He said with a faint 'ha', the longing sound at the end of his sentence, screaming for me to be enthusiastic about it.

While I wasn't jumping out of my seat in excitement of this news, it was something new, or rather _someone_ new. Maybe this new girl would rustle up some excitement amongst the boring townspeople. I bet Charlie was gallivanting around town with this news and surely people would be talking.

"That's great news..." I nodded, a plan brewing in my mind. "Hey dad, what do you say to a trip to the diner later? I'm in the mood for a smoothie." I beamed, smiling from ear to ear. My dad's face lifted as he smiled, the creases of his face deepening, the laugh lines folding so far in that it made his long face look clown-like. His light blue, almost silvery eyes glittered in the light.

"Sure, sweetheart. That would be great!" He said as he cleared our plates from the table. I watched the back of his head as he walked away towards the sink, taking in the color of his dark, ashy-blonde hair. It was short in the back and longer at the top. I glanced down at my long, wavy, chocolate brown hair then back at the blonde that coloured my father's head. I definitely took after my mom. I did have my dad's eyes though. He turned to me, his foot sliding against the tile floor as he pivoted, and clasped his hands together. A smile still lit his face and he bent over a bit in my direction.

"Should we get going?" He asked. I nodded and followed him out the door, grabbing my coat from the brown, wooden coat rat that was placed just before the door, which was just a short hallway away from the kitchen, and rushed out of the door after my dad.

The short ride to the diner was quiet. I noticed Charlie's cruiser in his drive way when we passed by his house and knew people at the diner would be free to gossip; perfect! My dad tried to strike up conversation with me when he noticed one of the Cullens drive by in one of their fancy, expensive cars. I didn't really care to notice which one it was, I think it was silver.

"Would you take a look at that? What a machine, huh?" He said, shaking his head then tapping the dashboard of our beat up, beige, 1968 Plymouth Barracuda. "It's alright Betsy, nothing beats a classic." He said, as if to sooth the car's feelings. Sometimes I wondered if he realized 'Betsy' was an inanimate object.

I shrugged as I kept my gaze out the window, watching as people we knew waved as we drove by. I couldn't prevent the roll my eyes reflexively took at the sight of such phoniness. We pulled up to a parking space at the diner and were met with more waves and smiles. My dad stepped out of the car, closed the door with a flick of the wrist and walked towards the front of it as he pulled up his pants and stuck his chin in the air to take a look around. It always amazed me that he did a sweep of his surroundings every time we left the house to go somewhere, as if he's never seen every nook and cranny of our little town thousands of times before. I stepped out of the car and followed my dad inside. We took a seat on the stools at the counter and waited for a waiter to take our order. I wasn't really in the mood for that smoothie, but I knew if I didn't order it, ol' Francis would figure out I wanted to come here for different reasons. He didn't necessarily know for sure what my secret little occupation was, but I think he had a hunch. He always caught me when I wasn't listening to anything he was saying and would crack jokes like, "did someone flip their hair the wrong way, Harriet?", as in Harriet the spy. I brushed it off but something told me he knew, he just preferred not to believe it. I'll admit, I haven't been the most vocal or social person since my mom got sick, observing just became my preferred way of communication. I knew my dad never liked that I was so introverted, he'd always try to push me into social interactions but I always weaseled my way out. I could tell it saddened him, by the way his face would fall, he'd look down and the corner of his lip would tug, as if to question himself as to what else he could do. It was that simple tug of the lip that made me feel like I was disappointing him, that I was a failure as a daughter. And when you feel like a failure, being outgoing and social is the last thing you want to do. It's that tug of the lip that sends me into deep observation mode, anything to focus the attention off of myself and on to someone else's flaws.

The lip tug hadn't made its appearance yet, it was too early for that. I figured I'd try to act enthused and talk more this time, to escape the burden of that tiny gesture.

"Hey there, Francis, Annie. What can I get you?" Sue asked, notepad and pen in hand.

"I'll have a slice of that pecan pie and Annie, what flavour smoothie do you want, honey?"

"Strawberry banana, please." I said, my voice slightly louder than a whisper. Some people turned in their chairs, ears perked up and heads tilted at the sound of my voice. I suppose it wasn't a very common sound, since I rarely spoke in public. Sue smiled at me as if I just told her the winning lottery numbers and then turned to get our order. Even my dad turned to look at me, as if some great miracle bestowed itself upon the unexpecting people of Forks. I just looked down at the counter and fidgeted with my hands as I waited for everyone's attention to revert back to whatever they did before the sound of my voice ruptured through the atmosphere. Sue returned with my dad's pie and my smoothie, winked at us and then left to serve some other people. I tilted my ear upwards, towards the right of me when I heard someone mention 'Swan'. The tone of their voice hinted that they weren't talking about the bird. Gladys, a middle-aged secretary with short, frizzy red hair and style that screamed her evidently strong desire to return to the 1970s, leaned in to gossip with Helen, a plump woman with brown hair pulled back and fastened with a large clip.

"Did you hear? Chief Swan's daughter is coming to live with him." She whispered, as if this was the biggest scandal to ever occur in the history of the country. Helen's eyebrows perked up, both of them arching higher than eyebrows should, her lips pursing so tightly they turned white, as she leaned back and swigged her coffee in response to the news.

"That's what I thought. I mean, the girl leaves her poor father with that flighty ex-wife of his and decides, years later, to grace him with her presence in his home? I bet she's just like her mother. I give her a month, tops." Gladys continued, waving her hand in the air.

"Well, she did stop visiting for four years. Now what does that tell ya, hm?" Helen responded, nodding as she nudged her pale green coffee mug towards Gladys. "And poor Charlie, bless his heart, still loves the woman who left him eighteen years ago. I can't imagine what it would do to him when his daughter up and leaves him the same way." Helen continued.

It was clear that neither of the ladies thought Charlie's daughter would stay long. In fact, they were sure she would flee just like her mother did. It made me a bit sick to know that the people of this town would turn against a member of their community like that, regardless of the circumstances. Charlie's daughter was coming back and they didn't even give her the benefit of the doubt. I never met her mom and barely spent any time with her on her short stays here, but she didn't seem like that bad of a person. But who knows, I haven't seen her in four years and never bothered to speak to her when she was here. I would just have to wait and see when she arrives within the week.

"Charlie's been raving about his Isabella all day, such a pretty name for a rancid girl." Gladys said,

shaking her head and consequentially her hair, releasing the odour of cigarettes and musky women's perfume in my direction. I began to cough, which drew my dad's attention to me.

"Hey, you alright there, kiddo? You've barely touched your smoothie." He said as he removed a strand of hair from my face. I nodded in response, not wanting to speak in fear of the commotion that would no doubt break out in reaction to the sound of my voice.

A commotion of a different kind erupted at the entrance of the diner as Mike Newton, Eric Yorkie, Jessica Stanley and Angela Weber walked in, their chattering and laughing silencing the chatter of those inside as they watched the group enter the diner and take their seats at the counter next to my dad.

"You want me to leave so you can hang out with your friends?" My dad whispered. I shook my head and placed my hand on his arm, to make it very clear that I didn't want him to leave me alone. Those kids weren't my friends, I doubt they even knew my name. Sure, we all went to the same high school and it wasn't exactly overflowing with kids, but nobody ever noticed me at school. I was just the blur in the background, dismissed by their eyes as they scan the cafeteria for their friends at lunch every day of the week. I always took refuge in a specifc corner of the cafeteria, curled up in a chair with my notebook as I wrote down any interesting observations. It was like my own little enclosure, two walls providing a safe haven during the hustle and bustle of the lunchtime hour.

Gladys started gossiping again and I turned nonchalantly to listen.

"She remarried you know. Yeah, to a baseball player." She said, nodding to confirm the truth of her own words.

"Ha, that explains it. The girl doesn't like her step father and chose to run to her real one instead. Typical teen rebellion." Helen said, tapping her tongue against the roof of her mouth to utter a sound of disapproval.

Gladys and Helen were interesting subjects. They were two ladies who thought very highly of themselves and poorly of anyone else. When they were together they gossiped as if there were no tomorrow, and when they were apart they gossiped some more about each other. Meanwhile, neither of them were honourable or respectable enough to even begin judging other people. It was attitudes like theirs that was further proof of the facade looming over the citizens of Forks.

"Hey man, did you hear there's going to be a new girl at school next week?" I heard Mike Newton saying to Eric.

"Yeah, the chief's daughter is moving to town." Eric replied.

"It'll be a nice change from all the girls around here. I bet she's really hot. I call dibs!"

"Dude, she hasn't even stepped foot in Forks yet, you can't call dibs."

"Alright, then Yorkie, may the best man win." Mike said. His back was to me but I already knew his right eyebrow would be arched and his mouth would be open in a half-smile as he challenged his friend to win a heart of a girl neither of them knew. They were your typical teenage boys. I suppose Mike would be considered the 'hottie' or 'heart throb' of Forks high, with Eric being the runner up. Mike has tried to get his hands on almost every girl our age in Forks, it was no surprise to me that he would already be plotting a way to gain the affections of Isabella Swan, no matter how brief they may be, just as long as he was first.

The boys got up and walked towards the restrooms, leaving Angela and Jessica in clear view.

Jessica's eyes followed Mike as he walked away. She was clearly head over heels for him, but he failed to see it. Jessica was a gossipy girl, a future Gladys if you will. I never could stand her or her voice. The girl could talk for hours.

Angela was different, though. She was shy and kind, the total opposite of Jessica. I never understood why she hung out with Jessica, but I suppose what they say is true and opposites do attract.

"I don't know why they're so excited, I mean I bet she's not even that pretty." Jessica scoffed.

"We don't know that. I'm sure she's really nice." Angela piped in.

"Whatever, all I know is that I'm going to keep my friends close and my enemies closer." Jessica said as she bobbed her straw in and out of her drink.

She was chewing at the inside of the bottom lip feverishly and kept her foot tapping against the foot rest of the stool at a quick and steady pace. Anger and worry escaped the quick and nervous motions of her body. She coveted Mike, that was no secret, and she feared the competition. Jessica began to shake her head and sighed. A spew of word vomit was about to unleash itself.

"She's been gone for years, couldn't she just stay in wherever the hell she's from?" The words flowed out of her mouth quickly and louder than she had intended, for her expression changed as her lips formed an 'O' and she smiled shyly while scanning the room with her eyes.

"She's from Phoenix, dear." Edna, an old woman with snow white hair, leaned towards Jessica and whispered. Jessica's eyebrows arched in unison as she nodded once, her lips tight in a line as she forced a smile and reverted her gaze back to Angela.

Mike and Eric returned to the girls and all four of them left together in one swift shuffle towards the door. The atmosphere had calmed and before long the only sound that could be heard was forks clanking against plates and the sips of noisy coffee drinkers. I suddenly longed for the sanctuary of the four, lilac walls of my bedroom.

"Hey dad, I'm kind of tired. Do you mind if we take off?" I said, whispering in his ear. He nodded and put his arm around my shoulders as we walked towards the door.

I noticed Grace before my dad did. The white of her nurse's outfit blinded me, along with her flowing, box dyed, brown hair flapping in the wind. Her red lips framed her pearly white teeth in a smile and her giddy laugh pierced my ears.

"Oh, Francis! I didn't know you were here." She said, batting her left hand downwards as she glanced over to her friend, Sheryl, another nurse from the hospital. Sheryl was less vibrant than Grace, with dull, light brown hair and beige scrubs. She tended to blend in more than stand out, although her kindness spoke louder than her attire. I knew that the quick glance Grace shot to Sheryl meant that Sheryl had called Grace to let her know my dad was at the diner and to hurry on over. I had lost all respect for Sheryl in that moment.

"Yup, just taking Annie here out for a smoothie." He said, pulling me into his side and shaking me. I refused to look at Grace, to subject myself to the fake 'nice to see you, sweetie' that would no doubt fumble out of her mouth. She wouldn't be earning any brownie points with me.

"Oh, how nice." She said, her tone less cheery. She could tell I wasn't thrilled to see her, which was exactly what I wanted. I was glad I wasn't the only one to be well versed in body language. Then again, my long, loud, exasperated sighs could have hinted to my distaste too.

"Are you going in?" my dad asked.

"Oh, yes." She said, her head twitching upwards slightly at the suggestion because she obviously had no intention of going to the diner in the first place.

"Care for some company?" My dad asked, stepping aside so that he could open the door.

"I'd love some!" Grace chirped.

Before I could object, Grace was already walking inside. I slid from underneath my dad's arm and looked at him questioningly.

"What? Aren't you coming in?" He asked, oblivious to the fact that I despised the women sitting cross-legged by the window.

"Dad, I just told you I'm tired. I just want to go home."

I noticed Grace eyeing my dad and I as we spoke and when those words escaped my lips she was on her feet and at the door in the matter of seconds, as if she were simply waiting for her cue.

"Is everything okay?" She asked, her eyes glued to mine as she grinned.

"Well, Annie wants to head home. I'm sorry Grace." He said, his hand disappearing behind Grace. She shifted her shoulder inwards towards my dad in response to his touch. I could feel the spaghetti I'd eaten earlier slowly creep back up.

"Oh..." She said, a failed attempt at trying to sound disappointed. Her eyes fell to the ground, as if to make it look as though she was sincerely hurt that I wanted to leave. Her face lit up all too quickly.

"I know, why don't you give Annie your car and I can drive you home later." She smiled and winked at me as if she were doing me a favour. My dad's face erupted in a smile and he kept looking back and forth at the both of us, as if it were the greatest plan he'd ever heard of. He leaned in to kiss me on the forehead, his hand still moulded to Grace's back, and then he threw me the keys to his car, the classic he rarely let me drive. He was almost too eager, as if he were in on the scheme too. They both turned back into the diner, his hand never leaving the small of Grace's back. I pivoted to face the Barracuda and just stood in front of it for a moment. It was getting dark, the town had a blue hue to it now that the sun, although rarely seen, was going down. I noticed one of the Cullen cars speed by the diner, the silver one we noticed earlier on the way here. It pulled in to the gas station across the street and I found my legs moving towards the road without me willing them to do it. It was like my body was pulled wherever it instinctually thought prime subjects for observations were.

I recognized the statue of perfection the moment he stepped out of the car. Edward took slow strides towards the gas pump, unscrewed the gas cap on his car and inserted the pump. His strides seemed forcefully slow, as if his body thrashed beneath the perfection of his skin to go faster, but his mind willed it to slow down. He caught me staring at him and it was too late to look away. I was captured by his beauty, the utter perfection that stood before me. But some things are too perfect to be true, and while perfection is the only word in the English language remotely capable of describing the Cullen family, I knew they held secrets of their own.

"Hello." He said. His melodic voice took an invisible form in the air and caused my entire body to tingle as swirled into my ears. My chest rose as I took in a deep breath, unsure how to respond. I hadn't spoken casually to anyone in years. My mind went blank. What do you respond with when someone says hello?

I responded the only way I knew how: with a smile, a simple extension of the lips to acknowledge him.

I scratched my head and looked away. I couldn't believe Edward Cullen spoke to me and I couldn't even say hello. I chuckled quietly and then walked quickly into the convenient store, hoping that it would seem as if I needed to get something. I hid between the small aisles as I watched Edward pay for the gas, glide back to his car and speed away. I stumbled out to the space his car occupied moments ago, black tire tracks staining the pavement. I was completely astonished by Edward and his entire family, ever since they moved to Forks two years ago. There was something about them that wasn't right and not the least bit human.

I walked back to the parking lot of the diner, looking back at the gas station every so often, and then sat inside my dad's car. I didn't allow myself to look inside at him and Grace together as I sped away.

I noticed a new addition to our street as I drove down it towards my house. A big, red, Chevy truck was parked in front of Charlie's house. It looked familiar, but I couldn't pinpoint exactly who's truck it was. I shrugged it off and pulled into my driveway a bit too fast. I was anxious to get upstairs and write down my observations of the most intriguing and mysterious family in Forks: The Cullens.

**A/N: That concludes the first chapter. The next one will be about the Cullens and Bella's arrival to Forks. Unfortunately, it probably won't be up for a while since I haven't written it yet, but I'll try my best to have it finished by the end of the week. At the latest, it'll be up by next weekend. Sorry for the long wait! I hope you liked it, please review and let me know :) Thanks!**


	2. Chapter 2 First Sight

**A/N: First, I think a YAY! is needed for finally completing and posting this chapter. I know it's been ages and I'm really sorry about that. But it's better late than never, right? If you haven't noticed, I replaced the Chapter 2 I had posted previously with this version because I re-wrote the chapter. The journal entry is the same, and some parts here and there are the same. What changed was that I added quite a bit and also removed the fight Annie has with her dad. I just didn't think it fit, even when I initially wrote it, it just wasn't sitting right with me. The re-write also has a lot more Annie in it, you get inside her head a bit more and see her reasoning behind things. The previous version was more a narration and I didn't like it. I also did add a touch of Midnight Sun too to add some more Cullen action in there. I only read the first chapter of it, which is what Stephenie Meyer had posted before the partial draft was leaked. At this point I may use some of midnight sun only for when Edward watches Bella sleep, since Annie would take witness to that. But as for reading the whole draft I'm still undecided and probably won't use it unless I truly need it. **

**Before I end this absurdly long author's note I just wanted to mention one thing about Annie and Edward's mind reading. I haven't been asked but I'm sure it'll cross your mind sooner or later of whether Edward would be hearing Annie's thoughts. The answer is he can, Annie doesn't have some shield or barrier on her mind, it's very much readable. BUT, because Annie is so distanced from herself, is very quiet and often blends in and goes unnoticed, her thoughts take the same route. So it's not that he can't hear her, it's just that her thoughts go unnoticed, they slip under the radar behind everyone else's thoughts. Annie kind of disconnects from herself when she's observing, she puts all of her focus and energy into someone else, so in a sense she loses herself and her thoughts. But there will come a time when no one else is around, giving Annie's thoughts nowhere to hide. **

**Alright, sorry about the length of this note I know this is ridiculously long but I hope it explains my reasoning behind the re-write and maybe answers some questions. I hope you enjoy the chapter, it is verryyy long! **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight, all credit for the lovely story belongs to Stephenie Meyer! **

**Just a reminder, the *** marks the end of the journal entry:)**

**The Cullens: My Favourite Subjects **

Nothing had ruptured the bubble surrounding the town of Forks like the arrival of the Cullen family two years ago. Forks would be welcoming a new doctor, along with his wife, someone new for the housewives of Forks to gossip about, and five new kids at Forks high school. Not much was known about them, except that they lived in Alaska before moving to Forks. That alone rose questions in my mind, like why would they choose rainy, dreary, little Forks to relocate to? Surely, a doctor could be much more successful in a big city. Why choose a small town that has nothing but rainy days and seas of green to offer? Soon, all of my thoughts revolved around the Cullens as I tried to break the mystery of who they were before they arrived. People tend to be quite predictable, but not this family. Anxiety brewed in me for the moment I would first lay my eyes on them, to finally figure them out.

I met the five Cullen kids first, on their first day of school. Calling them 'kids' is a huge understatement. They were more like Gods as they stepped out of their expensive, shiny cars and glided towards the school. That was the first time I noticed something was obscure about the way they moved. Their walks weren't casual or like the normal stride of the average teenager rushing to class. It was too perfect, almost forced. They strode along the pavement smoothly, but robotically, as if their bodies were capable of more than they allowed to be visible. On top of that, they didn't seem to express any of the mannerisms many people do when heedlessly walking into a building, like the flip of the hair or licking your lips. There was nothing. Their expressions seemed to be etched in stone, failing to move in even the slightest twitch.

Rumours began to slither their way around the school and I caught snippets of them here and there. Some people claimed they were all models that were tired of the rich life and wanted to try their hand at being normal. Others commented on how some of them looked too old to be in high school, so they must be stupid and had to repeat the twelfth grade . The rumour was squashed dead like a bug when their academic excellence shone through as the school year progressed, each of them scoring in at the top of their classes.

Then it became known that the five of them, three boys and two girls, were adopted by Dr. Cullen and his wife. That, and they were all _together_. All of them, except for Edward. That piece of knowledge instantly made them the greatest thing to ever happen to me. That mere tidbit made them the strangest family to ever reside in Forks and prime subjects for my observation. People started thinking that Dr. Cullen and his wife played match maker for orphans and hoped they could be adopted too. That rumour made a laugh escape from me the day I heard it, a sound that rarely ever presents itself to the open air willingly.

I grew extremely curious of the family and could barely contain my excitement for when I would be able to see them next, at lunch. That is, until the interaction I had with Edward Cullen in my physics class before lunch.

I took my usual seat in the back of my physics class, awaiting the arrival of our always late teacher, Mr. Barns, who left Forks by the end of that year for a better job in Chicago. That's when the living Adonis appeared in the threshold, scanning the room for an open seat. I noticed one next to mine and my mind became active with my own thoughts, something that seldom occurs. I began thinking _'Oh good Lord in heaven he's gorgeous, please don't sit next to me. Don't sit here!' _as he strode up the aisle way. He glanced at me, smirking, then turned to find another seat. It boggled my mind that he was standing in front of an open seat, about to take it, and then suddenly turned to find another. Was he some kind of mind reader? The sheer consideration of such a thing was ludicrous, and yet I found myself believing it whole heartedly. I tried to test him during class by repeating his name in my head, saying anything silently to get his attention. He didn't react, not in the slightest bit. So, he either ignored me or couldn't hear me after all. I left class feeling like an idiot for talking to myself in my head, trying to get the attention of a boy who would never look twice at me otherwise.

Lunch was where my excitement sky rocketed. I retreated to my corner, conveniently situated across from the table the Cullen's chose to sit at. Once they were all seated together, I noticed many similarities among the supposedly adopted children. Despite all of them being drop dead gorgeous, they all had very pale skin. Well, I guess everyone in Forks did, but theirs was paler than anyone else here, practically white. Another interesting similarity was their eye color. They each have topaz coloured eyes. Their eyes were pure, liquid gold. It was an eye color I've never seen before. And isn't eye colour hereditary? But their physical attributes weren't the only similarities they shared, it was barely scratching the surface to their strangeness. They each had trays heaping with all kinds of food, all of which went untouched. They just sat there, picking at the food to make it look as if they were eating it, but they didn't actually ingest any of it. There would be periods of time where they would be completely motionless. Not even their chests moved in reaction to breathing, as if they didn't breathe at all. Then one of them would suddenly cough and shift positions or strum their fingers on the table top, as if someone had given them a cue to do so. It was like every slight, human gesture was forced. Even the intervals in which they blinked was timed out, their eyelids shuttering every eight seconds; I counted. It seemed to me that they strived to blend in, instead of stand out like they so blatantly did. It was during those precious forty-five minutes of observation that I heard the feverish scratching of a secret underneath the surface of the facade the Cullen siblings put on. Whatever they were hiding was huge and I was going to figure it out.

I met Mrs. Cullen later that same day in the dairy aisle of the Thriftway. She was buying food as if it were the end of the world and needed to stock up. She looked physically identical to her 'adopted' children. She was gorgeous, pale and had topaz coloured eyes. Dr. Cullen happened to be shopping with Mrs. Cullen and he too held the same physical qualities as Mrs. Cullen and their children. Why did they all look the same? Something about their story wasn't right. It was after meeting them all that I knew they weren't what they claimed to be.

After two years of steady observation, I still haven't figured out what their secret is. The actions I observed on their first day seemed to mimic themselves every day after that. Well, every day except on the rare occasion that the sun appears in the sky, without clouds to shield it. It's during those sunny days that the Cullens don't show up to school or work. They claim to be hiking and enjoying the good weather, but something tells me that's not what they're really doing.

The Cullens remain a mystery to me and I've begun to think that I have to take special measures to unravel their secret. They are so immaculately different from any living being I've ever had the pleasure of observing and it's their strange disparity that has me absolutely addicted to them. My addiction has created this need deep inside me to uncover their secret once and for all, to get to the bottom of who they really are. I would never consider myself capable of successfully stalking anyone, but it looks as though that's the only way to get the information I'm longing for. I've observed, analyzed and searched for two years and have come up empty handed every time. My speculations of them being more than human, a more evolved species or something of that nature, will remain mere speculations unless I carry my observing skills a step further. As the days go on without answers, I fear it's the only thing left to do.

***

I pushed my laptop off to the side and reflected on my latest journal entry about the family that has stumped me like no other human being has ever been able to. I'll admit I sort of lost interest in them after a while. It just seemed silly for me to persist towards something I'd never get, to frustrate myself for nothing. But after writing my findings on the Cullens, are my speculations truly nothing? I know, deep in my gut, that there is something wrong with that family. How could I be faithful to my craft if I'm so willing to give up on my favourite subjects? I had to do something, but what that something would be I wasn't sure of yet.

I heard a car drive into the driveway and my mind switched into observation mode. My bed was conveniently positioned horizontally against the wall, underneath my window, so it would be quick and easy for me to open it and eavesdrop on anything going on outside. I turned to my window, unlatched the lock and listened intently. I heard two car doors slam shut and footsteps slap against the black pavement of the driveway. It was silent, the sound of a kiss echoing up to me. I was praying that the couple making out outside wasn't my dad and Grace.

"Thanks for a great time, Francis." Grace cooed. I rolled my eyes and slouched against the wall. My teeth began grind against each other as my jaw clenched and my breathing quickened as anger spread throughout my entire body.

"It was my pleasure." My dad replied, pausing for a moment. "Sorry about Annie, she's still hung up on her mom is all. Can't blame her." He said, as if I broke the law and he was negotiating with an officer to take it easy on me. My nails began to dig into my mattress, my fingers curling up into claws. A tear formed at the edge of my left eye, but I was too angry to let it fall. I closed my eyes for a moment, pushing it back, and opened them slowly in a fury.

"Oh of course not. I hope I'm not causing any problems between you two." Grace said, the tone of her voice erupting with falsities. How did dad not see how fake she is? I grunted with frustration.

"Nah, don't you think that. You're too good to me, Grace." He said. Bile slithered up my throat.

"I should go." Grace breathed. I heard the sound of suctioned lips separating and then a car's engine roared to life as Grace drove away. She honked twice and I wondered if she did it just to irritate me.

I slid out of bed and stomped towards the door, anger fuelling the fire that burned inside of me, preparing to unleash itself on my father. Charlie's voice interrupted me when I reached my door. I scurried back to the window and listened.

"Hey Francis, what are you up to?" Charlie hollered from his lawn. I could hear the sound of his feet shuffling through the grass as he walked across his property and on to ours.

"Oh, not too much, Charlie. You?"

"Just getting things ready for my Isabella, I pick her up tomorrow. Just bought that truck there off of Billy Black for her."

"That's a nice piece of machinery there. Are you ready to have her back?"

"I think so. It'll be nice having her here. She's been gone so long, I feel like I don't know her much."

"Yeah, well teenagers are tricky. Annie's been with me her entire life and sometimes I feel like I don't know her at all." As my dad paused, I felt my anger dwindle down to sadness and the tear I was reluctant to let fall burst into millions of droplets streaming down my cheeks.

"Ah well, I'm sure your Isabella will feel right at home." My dad interrupted the silence.

"Ah, yep." Charlie sighed. "Alright, well goodnight Francis." Charlie said, the sound of his feet shuffling in the grass filled the silence again.

My face found my pillow and I sobbed into it. It shocked me to hear that my dad felt like he didn't know me. I guess I'm not always that fervent about conversing with him or hanging out with him, but I never thought I was such a stranger to him.

I heard the muffled sound of the TV from downstairs and decided to curl up on the couch next to good ol' Francis and let him know I loved him. I wiped the tears from my face and slowly tiptoed down the stairs. He was sitting on the far left side of the green, leather couch, watching Dracula. I rolled my eyes and smiled. He always loved those vampire movies and I was always there to scold him about it, to crush the five year old boy inside of him that wished such creatures existed with my realism. I slowly walked around the couch and hesitated to sit down. He looked up at me and smiled, his head tilted to the left and his chest expanded with air as he sighed. His tongue slapped against the roof of his mouth as he opened it to speak.

"I know, I know, it's kid's stuff." He said, shaking his head.

"No, dad. It's cool." I said, the corner of my lip tugging by force into a smile. He nodded his head to the left and lifted his arm. I nestled myself underneath his arm as he rubbed my back, my eye lids growing heavy as I tuned out the sound of the TV.

I awoke to beams of sunlight cutting through the room, illuminating the dust in the air. It was strange to be awoken by sunlight. My eyes burned in reaction to the brightness, as if I've never been exposed to the sun before. The warmth on my cheek felt nice though, and I smiled in reaction to the pleasance of it. The light in the room slowly began to fade and my brows furrowed as I realized that the sun had been overcome by the never ending blanket of clouds that hovered above Forks. I rolled to my side and rubbed the sleep from my eyes. It felt early, too early in fact. I groaned, feeling groggy and tired. I reluctantly forced myself to sit up and was hit with tension in the centre of my back. I stretched, hoping to relieve the pain, and then trudged up the stairs to my room. I flopped face down on to my bed and closed my eyes to sleep just a little longer.

I was woken up again later to the sound of Charlie's police cruiser pulling in to his driveway. The sunlight that had brightened the house earlier today had not resurfaced and the gloomy, grey hue of the outdoors seeped through the window, lighting it just enough to see my surroundings. I began to think that being woken up by the sun was only a dream. The sun hasn't made an appearance in a while and I sort of missed it. It was silly really, to miss the sun. It's not like the sun was a common expectation here, more like a miracle every once in a while, reminding us we're still a part of the world and not just some closed off patch of land separated from the rest of the world by a dome of clouds.

I figured it was late afternoon by now. I could hear the tip tap of rain on my window sill, the nuisance of a sound that reminds me that this is as good as it's ever going to get. I was about to roll over and sleep some more when a new voice pierced my ears. Isabella Swan has arrived. I hopped up in my bed and stared down at the Swan's front yard.

"Wow, Dad, I love it! Thanks!" She said, ogling her new, old truck. She examined her truck, her eyes widening as they became fully aware of the enormity and ferocity of the seemingly indestructible mass of bulbous metal.

At first glance, Isabella Swan didn't seem like anything special and I assumed that everyone's expectations of her would be shot down the moment they laid eyes on her. She was very plain with her long, dull looking brown hair, slender build and average clothing. Her skin was quite pale, which was odd for someone who apparently lived in Phoenix. Maybe it was the lighting, or lack thereof, in Forks that washed the color of out her skin. The palette of skin shades isn't a vast one in Forks, eventually we all become roughly the same hue, lacking lustre. People arrive here with olive or pink undertones and leave with grey. Forks is like a town that has been painted in grey scale with splashes of green here and there. Except for the Cullens, of course, whose pale skin shone above the rest. Their skin had almost a glisten or sheen to it, like marble or ceramic. It's strange, but then again what about the Cullens isn't?

Isabella seemed disinterested and unimpressed by her new hometown. I pushed my face up against the ice cold glass of my window and squinted, trying to see the expression on her face. There was just something about her that held my interest. Normally when someone arrives at a new place, or one they haven't been to in a while, they do a sweep of the surroundings, they show some promise, some enthusiasm. Isabella lacked all of that. There was no glimmer in her eye as she lazily glazed her eyes over her immediate surroundings. She acted as if she were happy and was polite towards Charlie, but I wondered if maybe she resented coming here. She glanced up in my direction and I moved out of her line of sight while still keeping my eyes on her. It was the first time I saw her eyes and the first time I realized there may be more to Isabella Swan than the plainness she illustrated. The expression in her eyes hinted to a deeper sadness, to dishevelled emotions that shielded themselves behind spheres of chocolate brown. Isabella Swan intrigued me; something I hadn't expected to happen.

"I'm glad you like it." Charlie said in response to Bella's reaction to her truck. He seemed awkward and embarrassed around her. He avoided any eye contact with her, his gaze shifting from the ground to the house across the street, the truck and then to his own house. Charlie and Isabella stood quite a bit away from each other, as if an invisible bar kept them from getting any closer. If I didn't know they were father and daughter I'd assume they were two strangers, forced to share this awkward moment in time together. There was no visible connection between them. Charlie looked painfully uncomfortable and didn't know how to act around his daughter, who clearly longed to be left alone. I couldn't blame her, really. I suppose we were similar in that way, preferring our own company as opposed to having to fake contentedness for other people.

I watched as Charlie carried Isabella's things into the house and to her room. She didn't have many bags with her, which made me wonder whether Gladys was right about her all along, that she didn't plan on staying for very long and was flighty like her mother. Or maybe she was just plain and didn't own much, travelling with only the bare essentials.

I could see Isabella's room clearly from my window. I could see the yellow, lace curtains that framed her window and the light blue color of the far wall of her room. I could see the desk Charlie added as she grew, and the old computer that I watched him carry from his car to her room a few weeks ago. That was about it in terms of his preparations for Isabella's arrival. Charlie is a fairly simple guy and evidently had no idea how to prepare for a seventeen year old girl. I think he figured she'd let him know once she arrived if she needed anything else. But, Isabella seemed to be just as simple as Charlie is and I doubted she would require much else.

Charlie placed her things on the floor by the door and left Isabella alone. After one hour of what I could only imagine was an ill at ease car ride, it was probably best that they each had some space to breathe and settle in with their new living arrangements.

It was when Isabella was alone that her true emotions broke through the surface. She stared out of her window miserably as a few tears fell from her cheeks, blending into the beads of rain that ran down her window. It would have been impossible to even detect her tears if it were for her parted, downturned lips and the quick, steady and heavy rising of her chest. It was there, gazing out the window, silently uttering her despair to the world, that the plain, seventeen year old girl became a complex individual full of substance. I was astonished by her state, watching intently as she stared out, oblivious to the pair of eyes piercing into her from afar.

She turned away moments later, retreating to her bed. I had a feeling she wouldn't be sleeping very soundly, what with the worries of a new school and being the new girl. Plus, the constant patter of rain was something she'd probably need to grow accustomed to, a sound that was like a lullaby to the inhabitants of Forks.

I turned away from the window, pressing my back into the wall just underneath it and stared at my bedroom door. I sighed, realizing I should probably make a brief appearance downstairs. If I didn't, good ol' Francis would come and check on me and then break into a long discussion about how I spend too much time alone. I exaggerated a smile, practicing for when I faced my dad, and then slowly slid my feet against the hardwood floor towards the door.

"Pumpkin is that you?" He hollered from the bottom of the stairs.

"Yeah" I said, appearing at the top of the stairs, plopping one foot after the other down each step.

"I made macaroni and cheese tonight, your favourite!" He said, scooping some out of a pot with a wooden spoon. My eyebrows elevated and I turned my lips up and into a smile, releasing it as soon as he turned his back to me. I slid into my usual spot, across from my dad and waited for him to slide my plate over. He took his seat and stared at me as I poked at noodles with my fork. He cleared his throat, signalling a forced conversation to break the silence. Couldn't we eat in peace just once?

"So, you been sleeping all day?" He said, his eyes on his plate. His tone was low and what he said was more of a statement than a question. He hated when I confined myself to my room and slept all day. He would claim I was wasting away my youth, that back in his day he barely slept a wink because he wanted to savour it. He would then throw in the famous line, 'you can't be seventeen forever, Annie' and I'd throw out some comeback like, 'yeah I can, there's creams for that now' and he'd sigh and give up.

I wasn't in the mood for that today. So, I lied.

"No, I've been doing homework. I have a huge test coming up." I said, my eyes never leaving the colony of macaroni noodles on my plate. I shoved an over-loaded fork full of macaroni into my mouth and chomped down.

"Oh" He said, frozen. He leaned into the back of his chair, his fork hovering in mid air and his mouth full of food, extended in an 'O' shape. He then relaxed and continued eating. I guess I'm a pretty good liar. "How's that going?" He asked casually.

"It's alright." I shrugged. I chewed slowly, hoping that the conversation was over. Silence loomed between us for a few moments and I was amazed that this might actually end peacefully; silent. Dad took a swig of water, slapped his tongue off the roof of his mouth and took in a breath. Here we go again.

"Charlie's daughter's in town, finally." He said, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand.

"Oh yeah?" I said quietly, acting indifferent to the situation.

"Yup. Just saw 'em pull in. I was thinking maybe you could go over there, introduce yourself." He said, his hand cupping his glass as he stared at me, waiting for a response. My gaze raised slowly to meet his. I gulped and my lips parted as I tried to formulate an answer.

"I don't know, Dad. She probably needs some time to settle in, get used to things. I'll just meet her tomorrow at school." I said, lifting my glass to my lips as I finished my sentence.

"Will you, Annie?" He asked, his head lowering, but his gaze cutting into me at the same angle. He was pleading with me. Why did this matter to him so much? I held my glass in front of my mouth as I chewed on my bottom lip. I nodded slightly, hoping he would change the subject. He nodded once, leaned back in his chair, placed his hand on his belly and smiled.

"Look at it as an opportunity, hm? You may find a great friend in her." I stared at him as he said this, analyzing the smug look on his face. He was acting as if he was doing me a favour by pushing me to meet this girl. She was the new one here, she needs to make friends. I've lived here my entire life, I don't need to make new acquaintances. Everyone either knows me or knows of me, and that's good enough for me.

"Whatever, Dad." I said, shaking my head as I picked up my plate and glass and brought them to the sink. I heard him sigh behind me and just knew he was tugging one corner of his lip up, questioning himself as to what else he could do. I could practically feel the weight of his head as he shook it slowly from side to side. I started to feel a burning pressure build on top of my shoulders. I dug the palms of my hands into the edge of the counter for support as I hindered my breathing in reaction to the sting of pressure. I closed my eyes, squeezing them shut tightly and watched as the black haze behind my lids separated into balls and swirls of golden light that stained red and formed the word 'FAILURE', blaring at me from inside. Warm liquid began to build at the seams of my eyelids as they shook and eventually fluttered open.

Didn't he know I was trying? Can't he understand how hard this is for me? How am I supposed to get to know someone when I don't even know myself? I wish he could see the constant battle I have with myself, trying to dig deep and let who I am – who I was – resurface, only to be faced with a gut wrenching fear of what else would come of it, what I might remember. If I even prick through the wall I've built the only thing it will bring is bad memories and a pain refuse to face again. I've buried it deep, deeper than the depths of the ocean. Maybe my subconscious buried it for a reason. But he'll never know that. He'll never understand that I'm not the Annie I used to be, that I'm scarred; damaged beyond repair. He will never know because I won't let him, for it would only hurt him and I couldn't bear to be the cause of his pain, to shatter the happiness he's spent years building back up. I realize I've slowly wedged a crack in his happiness and now I need to plaster it.

"I'll talk to Isabella tomorrow, Dad. It'll be great." I said, unable to look at him. I didn't want to read what he wasn't telling me, to see what he really felt about the situation; about me. I heard the screech of his chair as it slid against the rough, tiled floor and the swoosh of his feet as he dragged them towards me. He placed his hand on my right shoulder, gripping once then patting twice.

"That's good, kiddo." He whispered, placing a light kiss on the top of my head before making his way to the couch.

I stared at him as he flipped through the channels on the TV. He was such a simple, pleasant, laid back guy and I was such a complicated teenager with major issues. He didn't deserve a daughter like me. I knew I had to change, to face the past and move on but something deep down forbade me to do it, forcing me to stay in this limbo between who I was and who I'm supposed to be. But I would try again, I would fight for it this time, for Francis.

I shuffled upstairs to my room with a new determination, one that evaporated just as quickly as if formulated. I sat on my bed, my arms wrapped around my knees as I rocked back and forth, shaking my head. I couldn't do it. I couldn't go back to that day everything changed. It would put everything into question, force me to face something I've worked so hard to forget. No. I wouldn't do it, at least not tonight.

The difficult part was burying the thoughts that chipped away at the barrier in my mind. It's like when you're told not to think of something, only to automatically have that something come to mind. It's hard to stop thinking about it, and even when you're not thinking about it you're thinking about not thinking about it. There's no escaping it, unless you abandon yourself completely, something I've become an expert at over the years. I've abandoned myself more times than I can ever keep track of, adding another layer to barrier.

I needed a distraction, I needed to take my mind away from this. New girl is sleeping, so I have nothing to observe, no one to put all of my energy into to take the focus away from myself. I concentrated on the sounds around me; the tapping of water droplets flinging against my window mixed with the muffled sounds of my dad cleaning the kitchen as he watched ESPN.

I slowly became deaf to all other sounds except the tip tap of the rain, it too slowly fading into silence. I felt drowsy in the silence, allowing my heavy lids to close, drifting me off into a deep sleep.

I woke up earlier than I usually would for school, since I didn't exactly revel in the idea of being stuck in a building full of teenagers for six hours. But today was different. Today, Isabella Swan would be experiencing her first morning as a resident of Forks and her first day of school and I would be there to experience it with her. I checked my alarm clock that blared 7:09 AM in a deep red light, illuminating the subtle darkness of my room. I hurried to the bathroom to brush my teeth, pulled my hair back into a ponytail, changed clothes and skidded back into my room. I hopped on to my bed and perched at the window, attentively watching for any movements made at the Swan residence. There was a thick fog hovering in the air. I sighed, hoping it would lift before anything good happened.

I could faintly see Isabella as she stared out her window, examining the fog that seemed to disappear into the sky, as if it didn't exist. She'll get used to not seeing the sky anymore. Maybe she'll find comfort in it someday, like I do. It doesn't make you wonder what's out there when there's no sky. That way, you never feel like you're missing out on anything, like everything there is to see and experience is already here. There is no 'out there', it's just whatever's here.

Isabella left her room for a while, leaving me to wait in agony, wondering what she's doing in there. I began making up different scenarios of what she'd be doing. In one, she told Charlie she made a mistake and wanted to go home. In another, she and Charlie silently ate breakfast, with Charlie's head hovering mere centimetres above his plate to avoid eye contact with her. She had her eyes glued to Charlie's peculiar behaviour while eating and decided it was good she moved here because her awkward father needed her.

The sound of an engine starting startled me and my mind dropped back into reality as my gaze shifted directly to the Swan residence.

I noticed Charlie leave first in his cruiser, leaving his daughter to fend for herself on her first morning here. Charlie has always been very immersed in his work and it didn't look like having his daughter back would change that. I suppose the awkwardness is still lingering between them.

Isabella exited the house shortly after Charlie did, locking the door to the house and hurrying to her truck to escape the mist. She won't be doing that every morning, she'll break the habit. Pretty soon she won't even feel the cool, wetness of a light drizzle, she'll become numb to it. The only time I even notice rain anymore is if it's pouring down in thick droplets. A light mist or drizzle is irrelevant.

I rushed out of my door, practically sliding down the stairs, grabbed my coat and keys and ran outside so that I could follow Isabella to school, to ensure that I wouldn't miss anything. I heard my dad call out to me from behind the morning paper but I was in such a hurry that I didn't hear what he said. He probably wanted to remind me to say hello to Isabella when I got to school or something. There was no backing out now, I told him I'd do it. But I figured if I could avoid him long enough I could come up with a good enough lie about my meeting with Isabella, or make up some freak incident that prevented me from getting even a glance in her direction all day, that an introduction would have been completely impossible. It was becoming pretty clear that I had no intention of interacting with Isabella, but rather around her as I hovered like a ghost by her shoulder throughout the entire day as best as I could. That's close enough to saying hi, right?

I stopped in my driveway, watching as she jumped in her seat, startled by the loud roar of her truck coming to life. Her expression shifted from surprise to acceptance, as if she knew something like that would happen. It was an old truck after all, she had to have expected some kind of complication. She began to pull out of her driveway and my mind snapped back into action. I hurried to manually unlock the door of my car; a 1994 beige Plymouth Accord. It wasn't the hottest car out there, but that didn't matter to me. It was small, it blended in and it was mine. I threw my backpack into the passenger seat, slid into the driver's seat and started the ignition.

I fumbled with my seat belt as I drove, trying to close the gap between my car and Isabella's truck, yet staying far enough away that she didn't get suspicious. I was about to forget about the seat belt altogether, but Charlie's voice echoed in the back of my mind, lecturing me about car safety. I stood in my driveway for about an hour the day I got my license because Francis insisted I listen to Charlie's precautions before stepping behind the wheel. He was funny to watch as he spoke awkwardly, scratching at his chin with his thumb, avoiding any and all eye contact. I smiled to myself as I finally managed to get the seat belt to snap into place, victory at last.

The drive to school was a short one, but I found myself growing more and more frustrated with my current position. I could not see Isabella this way. I wished I could see her expressions has she took in the sights Forks had to offer, longing to observe her.

She found the high school fairly easily, not that it was very difficult to find. It was just off the highway, like pretty much everything else. I slowed down so that I could catch a glimpse of her from the side as she turned into the parking lot. She didn't look very impressed. She gazed at the maroon-bricked buildings that made up Forks high as if something were missing. I assume high schools in big cities like Phoenix are different, more like the ones in movies with metal detectors and security guards, where students look like inmates. That setting would match the way I felt whenever I came here: incarcerated.

Isabella parked her truck in front of the first building where the front office is, assumingly to pick up her schedule. Unbeknownst to her, that parking lot was reserved to visitors and often used by some of the staff. It was mostly always empty though, since there wasn't a need for much parking when, now, only 358 students attended Forks High, and only a small fraction of that number are actually able to drive. I parked by the curb, a couple of feet from her parked truck. She hesitated to get out at first. She gazed out of her window, eyeing the fresh bubbles of water that stuck to it. I guess she isn't a fan of rain, but that's just something she'd have to get used to if she wants to live in Forks. She inhaled deeply, prepping herself before venturing out into the rain and to the office. Then she swiftly opened the door and walked at a quick pace to the building, entering inside.

I fought with myself while I watched her go in, wanting so badly to see how the first person she'd meet today would react and how she would interact with them. At the same time, I knew I couldn't go in without some type of excuse that would no doubt keep me in the front office after Isabella would have left. So, I tortured myself by remaining in my car. I watched the door like a hawk eyeing its prey, cars obscuring my vision every so often as one would drive by, signalling the arrival of students that began to line up to get into the student parking lot. Finally, she came out of the door and hurried back to the safety of her truck. I put my car in drive and waited for her to back out so that I could pull in behind her. I happened to cut off Tyler Crowley, who honked at me aggressively in response. I didn't care, he'd get over it. I _needed_ to be behind Isabella, I could not – would not – miss this opportunity.

Isabella took a spot and cut the engine of her truck immediately, her head turning from left to right to see if anyone noticed her. I conveniently took the spot next to her, pretending to rummage through my bag, while inconspicuously watching her. She pulled out a map of the campus and studied it for a few minutes. I took this opportunity to glance around at the students who were making their way to class and noticed the new addition to our parking lot. Everyone was walking slower, turning back every so often to see if she had stepped out of her car yet. I reverted my gaze back to Isabella, who was taking in a deep breath before she stepped out of her truck, as if to brace herself for the impact of 714 staring eyes. I quickly flung open the door of my car, whipped my back pack over my shoulder and followed her. She walked at a very quick pace and kept her face hidden in her hood. It appeared as though she was trying everything humanly possible to be invisible. Her stance was very constricted, as if trying to make herself smaller, unnoticeable. Her body language projected in every way that she wanted to be left alone, to blend in and avoid attention. I looked up at the students around us as we made our way to building 3, which was where I needed to be anyway, and noticed everyone's eyes glued to the new girl. Isabella's tactics to go unseen were failing. Sure, she didn't necessarily stand out with what she was wearing or the car she drove, in fact she fit right in. But in a school with less than 400 students, a new face will never go unnoticed and even though she tried everything in her power to hide hers, it didn't make a difference. Isabella's arrival has been hyped up for weeks and now everyone was observing the new sights in the usually boring confines of Forks High. It was like watching a child catch sight of a flashy new toy, watching the curiosity and desire build in their eyes. I found myself rolling my eyes multiple times as girls looked her up and down, surveying the new competition and clinging to their boyfriends. Their arms would tightly intertwine with that of a boy standing next to them as they claimed their territory. Boys also assessed the new body that quickly brushed past them, checking out the new merchandise and wondering how get their hands on it. The girls were more interesting to watch, though. It was the way they'd narrow in on one part of her and then look down at themselves to compare themselves to her. Some girls' faces would drop and shy away from Isabella as she passed by when they noticed something about her was better. Others would raise an eyebrow or snicker when seeing her, thinking there was nothing special about her. A fine example of this jealous, holier than thou type was Jessica Stanley, who has been preparing for the arrival of her new rival ever since the moment she caught wind of it. Jessica scoffed the moment her eyes landed in Isabella's general direction.

I moved past Isabella and in front of her, landing in between her and Britney, a blonde-haired girl in my English class. Britney and I made our way to the coat rack by the door, removed our jackets and took our seats. Mine was, naturally, at the back of the class in the right corner. It gave me a perfect view of all of the students, as well as the door. I noticed Isabella copy Britney and I by hanging her coat up on the rack, just below mine. She then walked up to Mr. Mason and handed him a slip of paper. He then proceeded to gawk at her as soon as he read her name on the slip. I wasn't too surprised of this, considering anyone else would have had the same reaction. Everyone in town knew about Isabella's history, how her mom left Charlie, how she miraculously decided to move to Forks after not visiting at all for four years. We've heard so much about her that it was like getting to meet a celebrity. One with a bit of a shady past. Isabella's cheeks blushed a brilliant, bright red under Mr. Mason's gaze. He then directed her to a seat in row before mine, two seats over from where I was sitting. She sunk in her chair, kept her eyes down and hid behind her hair.

This hiding thing of hers was making me very impatient. How on earth was I supposed to observe someone without seeing their face? Body language is so obvious, so two-dimensional, but the face...oh the face is the powerhouse of expression. It is the master of hidden emotions. Something as simple as a smile, often construed as happiness, can mean hundreds of different things. The mouth alone is so complex, in the ways it can contort itself into different shapes and dimensions, each bearing its own significant meaning, all the while being totally unobtrusive and hidden behind the simplicity of a smile, of the gesture intertwined with contentment. And the eyes, the entire area in and surrounding the eye and what they are capable of is almost inconceivable. A subtle twitch, furrow or raising of the eyebrow, the tremor of the eyeballs, the movement an eye makes as it navigates in the socket – it's all so fascinating. Even the cheeks and nose play a part in the wonders that is a face. Put all of these components together and it creates the most fascinating and beautiful orchestra of movement and emotion. It's what makes us human. An animal can't do what a human can with its face, and even if it has the capability, it doesn't have the meaning behind it. The human face is an anatomy that will forever intrigue me and hold a powerful grasp over me like nothing else ever could.

So it's understandable that not seeing Isabella's face was like torture. I could base my observations on her stance, but it hasn't changed even the slightest bit since she got here. She's still constricted and closed in on herself, trying to go unnoticed.

I was enjoying watching other people's reactions to her rather than watching Isabella directly. My aggravation led me to think that maybe she wasn't as intriguing as I thought she'd be, that my initial assumptions of her at first glance were correct. Maybe she's just your average, generic thinking teenager who just wants to fit in at a new school without attracting attention. I rolled my eyes and lolled my head to the left in disappointment. All of my hopes for an exciting day were smothered by Isabella's fear of being the centre of attention. It was something I didn't quite understand. I suppose being put under the scrutiny of 357 pairs of eyes isn't the most sought after position, but at least people were taking an interest in her. She'd fit right in, be popular even. That's something every teenage girl wants. Why was she shying away from it? Why did she try so hard to blend in? For a minute there, she reminded me of the Cullens; vigorously trying to blend in while inadvertently standing out. Thinking of the Cullens brought something to look forward to, which was Isabella's reaction to them. The Cullens obviously aren't average looking. Maybe that would get a reaction out of her, hopefully one that doesn't involve hiding behind a hood or hair.

The bell finally rang after what seemed like an eternity of mindless banter about that Shakespeare fellow. I noticed Eric Yorkie begin to make his way up to Isabella and couldn't help but release the smile that tugged at the corners of my lips. I slowly gathered my books while I watched Isabella's first interaction with a student. Butterflies flapped in my stomach, fuelling my excitement. I suppressed a giggle that tickled the tip of my tongue as I remembered the battle for Isabella's affections that were declared in the diner between Eric and Mike. Looks like Eric might be the winner, considering he got to her first. I was a bit let down, though. I had hoped Mike would be the one to win her heart since that would no doubt send Jessica into a frenzy. A slight chuckle escaped the confines of my throat and I held my breath for a moment, before realizing that the sound had gone unnoticed. Typical.

Eric looked a bit nervous and jittery as he approached Isabella.

"You're Isabella Swan, aren't you?" He asked, stating the obvious. He seemed over-eager and I feared he'd give himself away in the first minute of speaking to her.

"Bella" She corrected. My head snapped in her direction, my lips parted, releasing a very subtle gasp and my eyes widened in reaction to the sound of her voice and the new piece of information that escaped her lips. I realized I've already heard her speak before, but it sounded differently when she was close by and it startled me. You get so used to hearing the same voices all the time that a new one seems so foreign. I wasn't the only one who reacted to the new voice that radiated within the four walls of the classroom. Everyone who was close enough to hear her speak turned to see who the new voice belonged to.

She preferred to be called Bella. That's a relief, Isabella is quite a mouthful. Bella it is, then. Eric looked kind of wounded when she corrected him, for his lips pressed together and his head moved back slightly. He bounced back quickly though and asked her what her next class is. Eric would most likely escort her there, even if his next class is nowhere near hers, and try to act like the perfect gentleman. Not to say Eric wasn't a gentleman, in his own right, but he was also a teenage boy in competition with his best friend, as well as every teenage male in Forks. I wouldn't put it past him to try every trick up his sleeve to get her to notice him above all the rest. Eric put up a good fight, but it's Mike's attempt that I was most looking forward to.

Bella checked her schedule and announced that she had Government next with Jefferson. I was completely stunned. How could it be possible that we have yet another class together? My luck had to end somewhere. I hated surprises and having to wait in anticipation for the unknown. I fought the urge to steal Bella's schedule for a moment, just to see what classes I did have with her and what periods I'd have to sit with a burning anxiety, wondering what she's up to.

I noticed Eric and Bella moving towards the coat rack. I quickly scooped up my books and shuffled out of class behind them, keeping a safe gap between us yet remaining fairly close. The conversation was dull and generic. Eric asked Bella about Phoenix, stating the obvious that it's different from Forks. I weaved in and out of the sluggish crowd, clutching my books to my chest while keeping my head slightly turned to the side so that my ear would be closer to the echo of their voices. I ended up missing what Bella said after Eric pointed out the obvious yet again and caught on when Eric made the stupid comment of how she wasn't tanned. I shook my head, wondering how he could ever have thought that comment could be construed as a compliment. Of course, that's the way to a woman's heart, tell her she looks pale, it's what we all want to hear!

"My mother is part albino" She said with a subtle hint of sarcasm. I couldn't help but giggle, sending vibrations to the centre of my throat. She had a sense of humour, I liked that.

Eric was continuing to make a fool of himself as he stopped to study her face, his expression questioning. His eyes squinted slightly as he scanned her features. He actually thought she was serious. He was looking for signs of albinism in her. I shook my head in disbelief. Nobody understands good sarcasm anymore. We continued to walk in silence together, although my presence wasn't exactly known. Whispers already began to feather their way through the ears of eager students at the sight of Bella and Eric together. He walked her right up to the door then headed back to building four. Bella didn't seem too impressed with him. Looks like the odds are in Mike's favour.

Government was extremely uneventful. I found myself sighing a lot, drifting into my own little world as class droned on. I wished I could read minds, that would heighten my observing to an entirely new level. It would be amazing, the only true way to know what someone is really like, what their secrets and emotions are. I revelled in the idea, wishing it could be possible. Mind reading would be the only way to figure out what this Bella Swan is all about, besides trying to hide from everyone. I just wished I could see more than what I've already witnessed all morning. I've practically stored the exact shade of her hair to memory, since I've seen it so much as it covered her face. I caught a glimpse of her entire face for mere seconds as she glanced up out the window, her bottom lip folding in as she bit down on it. Her eyes were wide and glossy, the chocolate brown glistening with such depth it felt like you could swim in them. The color was thick and heavy. Her bottom lip slid from hiding for a moment, but then folded back in. I was still studying the lines of her face when she turned and shook her hair in front of her face again.

I followed her as long as I could to her next class, realizing we had the same class yet again. It was trigonometry with Mr. Varner. He made Bella introduce herself in front of the entire class. I knew, the moment he spoke the words "Please introduce yourself to the class" that it would be disastrous. The girl has been hiding all morning and now she had to stand in front of thirty kids and feel the pressure of their eyes on her. She stammered as she spoke and her cheeks blushed that brilliant red again. She would tug on her bottom lip every so often and never made eye contact with anyone. Her gaze was restricted to the floor, the window and the back wall of the class. When she finished she tripped over her own boots as she made it to her seat next to Angela Weber. Angela was friendly, asking her about Forks and how she was adjusting to the rain, a topic Bella was probably getting tired of. Her tone of voice began to lack any of the enthusiasm she somewhat had earlier in the day when the topic was fresh. She also took a look at Bella's schedule, offering to walk her to Spanish since she had it next period, and then asked Bella to sit with her at lunch. I was surprised to hear that Bella shared yet another class with me. I wondered if maybe our schedules were identical. If they were, it was a miracle. There would be nothing better for an observer than to be able to study subjects consistently. It was something I wished could be possible with the Cullens and in fact something I attempted to make possible by trying to switch my classes around, but unfortunately the switches weren't made. It's unfortunate, for the Cullens hold a never ending interest for me. But, the mystery that was Bella Swan began to lose its sheen and I was slowly losing interest. So, even if I could observe her every minute of every day, it didn't mean I would.

Spanish was another monotonous waste of an hour and a half of my life. Angela chattered about teachers and classes, trying to be helpful to Bella. Bella didn't seem to be that interested in Angela's banter though. She nodded and smiled every so often but it didn't look like her mind was in the conversation. The ticking clock seemed to get louder and louder as the end of class drew near. It hit me, amidst Angela's sweet, eager voice and Spanish vocabulary words rolling off the teacher's tongue, that lunch was next. Lunch, the block of my day that I have been most looking forward to. My day had been unexpectedly mind-numbing and I needed a crowded lunchroom full of students to observe. It was like watching wild animals at a watering hole. But the monkeys and buffoons of Forks high wasn't what I really wanted to observe. I wanted to experience the moment the eyes of Bella, a delicate lamb, met with that of the Cullens, the magnificent pride that roamed the grounds, gracing us with their presence. My mouth began feeling dry, my tongue like sand paper against my palate as I imagined the meeting. Would she continue to hide after seeing them? Would she question them? Would she even give them a second glance? The anticipation was eating away at me from the inside. I willed time to move faster, to get to the lunch hour and then press pause, slow it down and let me savour ever millisecond of it.

The ding of the bell interrupted my current salivation over the upcoming hour and I scurried past students that were filing out of the classroom, trying my best to stay close to Bella and Angela. Angela's bouncy, vivacious curls weren't difficult to spot from a distance and allowed me to keep track of Bella's whereabouts as I unintentionally drifted further into the crowd, pushing with all of my might against the shuffle of bodies. I followed Angela's hair through the crowd and into the cafeteria, where she and Bella sat the end of Angela's usual table with Jessica and the others. It was a table full of girls I wasn't particularly fond of, except for Angela who has always been very kind, and Bella, although she was quickly becoming just as boring as the others. My eyes drifted to my usual, secluded spot and I realized that it just wouldn't do, I needed to relocate. A table, seemingly chosen by the Gods just for me, was empty in the middle of the cafeteria with a perfect view of both Bella and the Cullens. It was slightly closer to Bella's table, though, and I hoped I could hear both subjects adequately above the noise. The Cullens weren't really talkers, though, so I wasn't too worried.

I took my seat, stretching my feet out to the seat across from me, and eyed the Cullens. All five of them were in the same seats they claimed two years ago, in the exact same positions. They weren't looking at anything in particular, they always acted aloof. Jasper looked like he was in agony, which wasn't completely unusual. Alice was next to him, an arm linked to his as she watched him. Rosalie and Emmett were also seated next to each other, leaning into one another. It was Edward, the lone wolf of the group, that caught my attention every time. He was staring at the wall so intently, it was as if he were studying every crack and groove of it and storing them to memory. I was about to look away when Edward moved. He actually _moved_. If it were any other person it would have been irrelevant, but for a Cullen to shift even the slightest bit, to rupture their statuesque poses, was almost unheard of. He slowly turned his head to the left, then to the right and then back to his original position. I noticed Alice's stance relax, ever so slightly, as if she was responding to the movement. It wasn't the usual cue for them to reallocate their bodies, since it was only Edward and Alice who reacted. It was as if they understood each other, were having a silent conversation of their own. It was the strangest thing. Maybe they were observers too, understanding each other the way only observers could. But it seemed to delve deeper than body language, for their expressions rarely changed.

I noticed a girl walk by and stand by the Cullen table, almost too close. The Cullen table was just an area of the cafeteria everyone steered clear of, it was almost instinctual. They didn't seem threatening, yet something inside alarmed us to keep a distance. Yet the girl obliviously stood there near Jasper as she spoke to a friend. I couldn't remember her name for the life of me. A part of me, a very miniscule part anyway, wanted to call out to her, to get her to move. Didn't she know she was crossing a boundary? My gaze shifted to the Cullen table, my eyes just opening from a blink when I saw Edward kick Jasper's chair, the most brisk and aggressive movement I've ever seen him articulate in the years I've known him. They were always so still and haven't even noticed Bella yet, so why the sudden change? I squinted my eyes, focusing on Edward's face and noticed the color of his eyes. They weren't the liquid gold I was used to. They were black. Pure and hauntingly black. It wasn't the first time I saw this shift in eye color, but it never lost its shock value. My gaze shifted from Edward to Rosalie, then Emmett, Jasper and Alice. All of their eyes were black. It was another strange thing, their eyes always changed color at the same time. It would be something I'd have to take a mental note of and venture into further in my next journal entry. For it was now that Bella was learning about the Cullens through Jessica, which meant that Bella had already noticed them.

I watched as Bella studied the strange group across the room, taking in the angles of their beautiful faces, almost too painful to look at for too long. She then took a special interest in Edward and asked about him. Jessica was bitter towards him for turning her down when he first moved here and she let Bella know it. Of course, she made it as if Edward were some kind of shallow, too-good-for-you type of guy, anything to detract from the fact that she simply isn't all that in a bag of chips. Edward is...well, he's Edward. You'd have to be something really, truly special in order for him to even give you a second glance and for Jessica to admit she's anything less than spectacular would be the day hell freezes over and pigs fly, both occurring the same time money comes pouring from the sky. Hence the cold tone she used when explaining who the Cullens were, making them out to be some kind of scandal, with an extra dash of sour spice on Edward's name.

I smiled when remembering the day Jessica geared her infatuation towards Edward: the new, gorgeous and very available guy at Forks High. She flung herself at him like a fly on poop. Except, the poop was of a higher, more sophisticated genre and one the poor fly could never land on, not even for a sliver of a taste, not even in her dreams. But of course, being Jessica, she claimed Edward was the one with the problem and then turned her claws – I mean feelings – to Mike Newton. He was easier to impress, the boy would go for anything that was female and had a pulse. He humoured Jessica for a while, but now that Bella's in the picture anything that Mike and Jessica had could very well blow up in smoke.

My eyes reverted back to the Cullen table, where all seemed normal until Edward's head whipped in Bella's direction, as if his name had just been called. He then looked away, disinterested. It didn't surprised me that Edward didn't take an interest in the new girl. Why would a diamond covet a stone? Neither of the Cullens reacted to Bella the way everyone else had, in fact they were totally oblivious to her presence. They were well aware of the new addition to the population, yet it didn't faze them at all. They went on with their lives as if nothing were different, staying within the invisible bubble that formed around them. It was like they lived in this alternate universe none of us were aware of, like they were a part of something bigger, something no one could logically grasp if we knew about it. Maybe we were all safer in our ignorance.

I watched as Edward and Emmett exchanged words, both glancing at Bella's table. I wished I were closer so that I could hear them speak. Their voices were like melodies made specifically for my ears. It was entrancing and beautiful. Edward then met eyes with Bella again, who was staring at him. She then turned away in embarrassment, but Edward's eyes remained on her a moment longer. He then shifted his gaze to his table, the planes of his face contorting in ways I've never seen before. His brows furrowed and his lips pressed together and pursed slightly outward. His body followed the expression on his face, his shoulders hunched in and forward, his upper body leaning downward into the table as he handled a piece of bread between his long fingers. Something was troubling him, but what? What was this beautiful creature thinking? Oh, if I only knew! I would give up hearing altogether if I could hear his thoughts just this once.

I felt my cheeks flush with heat, my breathing quickening as I took in deeper breaths. It was as if I were intoxicated. I needed to look away, break the trance he was putting me in. I forced my head to swivel in the other direction and caught sight of Mike Newton, who's eyes were glued to Bella. No surprise there. My attentions then averted to Lauren Mallory, who was just as malicious than Jessica, if not worse. She's been giving Bella death glares all day. With the way some of these girls were acting, you'd think their entire universe just tipped upside down, fell on top of them and crushed them to a pulp. The only difference in their lives was the addition of one simple girl, barely enough to cause a ripple in their lives and yet they acted like she was causing a worldwide epidemic. I sighed, feeling somewhat ashamed of their behaviour.

I looked back at poor Bella who was obviously uncomfortable. It was like she was tied to that chair, with a hand up her back forcing her to open her mouth and speak. It was painful to watch. I turned back to observe five people who never let me down, to save myself from feeling any more of Bella's discomfort.

The Cullen table was missing one person. It wasn't difficult to pin point exactly which one was missing in an instant. Alice had thrown her tray full of uneaten food into the garbage, a common practice, and then skipped out the door. Rosalie stood next, then the others as they followed Alice's lead. They gracefully floated out of the cafeteria, with the same tension and restriction running through their joints as they always had. They didn't show any mannerisms as they exited the cafeteria, not even today, not even a second glance back at the new girl.

I had no choice but to return my gaze to Bella, who was anxiously biting her bottom lip and tapping her foot, her eyes flitting to the clock every few moments. She wanted out, you had to be blind not see it. Angela mentioned that she had Biology II with Bella and that they could walk to class together. My eyes widened, my jaw dropping at that exquisite piece of information. Not only did _I_ have Biology II next period, so did Edward Cullen. My legs dropped from the chair they had been resting on immediately, my feet positioned on the tile beneath me, ready to stand as I waited for the cue from Angela. The moment she stood and walked towards the exit would be the moment I would spring into action. But instead of turning towards the exit, she detoured to a garbage can located behind me, with Bella following close behind. I looked away, moving my pen in circles on a blank page in my notebook as she approached me. The pop can she carried made a thud when it hit the bottom of the garbage can, causing me to twitch. She turned to me and so did Bella, the strawberry scent of her hair wafting into my nasal passages as it swayed behind her and out of her face.

"Oh, hi Annie!" Angela said with smile. I looked up to smile back and was startled by Bella's gaze on me, a smile laced across her face. She nodded and I returned the gesture before she exited the cafeteria with Angela. I turned back in my seat, brushing the inside of my mouth with my tongue to relieve the dryness. What just happened? Did I just interact _with_ Bella? It's always the strangest sensation for me when my subjects randomly interact with me. It's as if a doll were to come to life and talk to you, something it should not be able to do. I gave my head a slight shake, gathered my things and scurried to Biology II.

I took my usual seat, two lab tables behind Edward Cullen. It wasn't my usual, back of the class seat but it was sufficient enough to watch Edward and keep an eye on the mindless teenagers around me. I was surprised to be in class before Angela and Bella, but took it as a blessing that I didn't miss Bella's entrance. For the moment, I decided to lose myself into the waves and depths of Edward's perfectly styled yet out of place hair. Who knew you could get lost in hair? It seems like such a dull, everyday thing and hair never captured me before. But Edward Cullen's hair was something entirely different and excruciatingly captivating. I'd often find myself with my mouth open, a line of drool flowing from mouth to lab table as I followed the wisps, and curves of his reddish brown locks. Thankfully, I noticed Angela take her seat at the lab table adjacent to mine and didn't have the chance to get lost in Edward's hair today. It sounds pathetic when thinking one could ever get lost in hair, but when _his_ is right in front of you there is no escape.

Bella presented a slip to Mr. Banner, who signed it, presented her with a text book and showed her to the only seat available next to Edward. I pressed my hand to my mouth to hide my smile, curling my bottom lip in to prevent it from getting any larger. Bella's cheeks went red, a common thing for her I've noticed, when she looked at Edward. She then proceeded to trip, catching herself at the end of a lab table. Holly, the girl sitting there, giggled. I rolled my eyes, knowing that Holly had nothing to giggle about. I could recall numerous times that little miss giggle fest tripped over her own two feet.

I heard Edward's seat squeak as his entire body tensed with much force. I watched the lines of his body, all tensed and leaning away from Bella as she took her seat. Edward's hand gripped the corner of the table, his fingers digging deep into the wood. Yet his hand wasn't shaking as he pressed deeper into the table, it was as if he were using the bare minimum if the force he's capable of. His fingers left an impression in the wood. I blinked hard, trying to make sense of this, wondering if I were simply day dreaming. Edward then began running his hand over the indentation he just made, erasing it. I watched as shavings piled on the floor. I looked down at my left hand that rested on my lap and couldn't help myself. I placed my fingers under the corner of the lab table and pressed with every ounce of strength I had. There had to be a logical explanation for what I'd just witnessed. Maybe the wood is just really soft, brittle or rotting and therefore easily breakable. I let out a subtle grunt, my hand falling around from the corner of the table. I ran the fingertips of my right hand underneath the edge of the table, hoping to feel bumps or any sign of indentation. Nothing. I turned my left hand over and ran my right hand over the bright, pink-ish red, diagonal 'L' that was pressed into my palm. I then pressed my hands together, palm to palm, letting the heat relieve the pain. I could feel the beats of my blood as it pulsated through my veins when my hands were pressed together. It was an oddly soothing sensation.

I turned to my lab partner, completely forgetting his existence, and met his gaze. He looked at me as if I needed to be put into a mental institution. His eyes then slowly rolled to the right, his head following in the same direction. I reverted my gaze to Edward and watched as he glared at Bella with such hate that I was afraid for her. I've never seen Edward act this way towards anyone. He's always quiet and polite. Bella hid behind her hair, just as she had all day, but I noticed her peak through the shield she placed between herself and Edward, intrigued by the chalky-skinned beauty fuming with a vengeance next to her. And he was so still. His shoulders, once elevating and deflating in reaction to breathing, ceased to move. It were as if he weren't breathing at all. If it weren't for the sound of him swallowing what sounded like a hoard of saliva, I'd think he weren't alive, merely a statue.

For once in my observing life, I didn't know what was going on. I couldn't make sense of any of the body language Edward and Bella were emitting. All I knew was Edward hated Bella, but I didn't understand why. Edward totally threw me off in the last twenty minutes, creating more confusion for me than I've ever experienced with any of my subjects. People are always so easy for me to read, but the Cullens were a constant mystery to me. This is the first time Edward's ever acted out of character in two years. After two years of watching five people move exactly the same way, it's just expected that that's all there is to it. But this sudden revelation was mind blowing, leaving me feeling strange and absurdly unprepared. My breathing quickened as I questioned myself, trying to piece it together, to find some links between lunch and now, but nothing added up.

The bell rang and Edward was gone in an instant. His scent was like a ghost in the air, leaving an impression of his presence. I licked my lips and closed my eyes as I inhaled deeply. What cologne was that? It's invigorating. The moment was interrupted by a voice I'd almost forgotten.

"Aren't you Isabella Swan?" Mike asked as he approached Bella, who was slowly gathering her books. She was probably still stunned by Edward's behaviour towards her, still recovering. Or was that me? I shook my head and listened as she corrected him on her name and he offered to direct her to her next class. Like that hasn't been done before...

Gym was a period I usually found a way to skip, but I'd grit my teeth and bare it today because I didn't want to miss Mike's attempt at winning Bella over, although I still couldn't get over Edward's actions in Biology. I followed Bella and Mike as they walked to the gym, Mike talking Bella's ear off. I wasn't listening, I couldn't care less about what he had to say until the moment he uttered two things: Edward Cullen.

"So did you stab Edward Cullen with a pencil or what? I've never seen him act like that." He said. I let out a sigh of relief that I wasn't just imagining Edward's odd behaviour.

"Is that the boy I sat next to in Biology?" Bella asked. Oh, puh-lease! My eyes rolled, knowing the motion all too well and practically acting on their own accord when stupidity sprouted in the air. I mean, I'd normally give Bella the benefit of the doubt when it comes to remembering the names of any of these chumps, but this was just ridiculous. You never, _never_ forget a Cullen. Not even if you've been struck with a severe case of amnesia and can't even remember how to breathe. You always know who the Cullens are, each individual one. It's like they are burned into the grey matter of your brain with a laser, destined to be there forever.

I was too caught up in the absurdity that fell out of Bella's mouth that I missed the middle half of the conversation, only to hear Mike say,

"If I were lucky enough to sit by you, I'd talk to you." Smooth, man. Very smooth. Bella smiled but it didn't seem to ease her qualms. Heck, if Edward Cullen stared at me that way I'd probably be contemplating suicide. The force behind his gaze was enough to break down even the strongest, most confident person.

Bella seemed more impressed with Mike than she did Eric. He clearly admired her. If that line he fed her didn't show it, the huge smile plastered on his face would certainly give him away. I never knew a mouth could stretch to such lengths. Mouths, no matter who they belong to, always astound me.

When we arrived at the Gym, Coach Clapp handed Bella a uniform, although she wasn't required to change today. She was allowed to sit out for her first day, lucky bird. I, on the other hand, had to venture into a smelly locker room to change into musty gym clothes and partake in a game of volleyball. I'd choose Chinese water torture over this.

Mike was eyeing up Bella as he waited for the ball to fly his way. He then showed off by jumping through the air and spiking the ball. Bella smiled whenever she noticed Mike staring at her, looking for some kind of reaction after he made an amazing serve or spike. I managed to steer clear of the ball, remaining in the back of my group. Everyone on my team worked around me, which was quite the relief. It didn't make being here any better, though. When the bell rang I didn't bother changing my clothes. I grabbed my bag that I had placed by the bleachers and followed Bella, allowing two people to step between us so she wouldn't suspect I was following her.

We walked to the front office, which seemed fitting considering it was where we started our journey this morning. Just as Bella went in I slid a thick pen in between the opening so that it would remain open just a crack, enough for me to hear what was going on inside. I slid down the wall next to the door, ear extended towards the crack. The sound of Edward's voice stung my ear canal, the melody more eager and aggressive now as he tried to switch out of Biology II. Yet another piece of the puzzle I can't connect. Did he seriously hate Bella that much? Did she somehow break through the bubble surrounding the Cullens, disrupting their hidden world? Bella barely spoke a word to him, none of this made sense. Just as I was immersing myself into the situation, Kim flung open the office door, bringing a gust of wind in with her. My eyes instinctually went to the pen, that was roughly in the same spot. The door closed slowly and I could see Edward as his body tensed, his fingers curling into his palm and his eyes closing tightly as if he just smelt something grotesquely revolting. He then told the secretary to forget it and fled the room. A gust of cool air flowed in my direction and I found myself flinging against the wall, my back pressed into it as his scent entered my senses. God, what was that? Axe?

Bella came out shortly after, her pace quicker than it had been all day. I ran after her as quickly as I could without looking suspicious. I slowed once we got outside and watched as she sat in her truck without starting it. She was breathing heavily, as if she were just in an intense game of tag and just reached what was deemed home-free. I sat in my car and waited, wanting to make sure she was okay. She was visibly shaken by Edward's behaviour and I couldn't help but sympathize towards her.

Eventually she started her car and pulled out of the lot. I, of course, followed shortly after.

Francis was taking taste of his special chilli as I walked through the front door and into the kitchen. He quickly removed the spoon from his mouth, swallowing quickly as a smile unfolded on his face. Crap, I didn't think of what to say to him about Bella...

"So..." He said, his head tilted on an angle, eyebrows raised and smile in place. "How'd it go with Isabella?" He asked.

"Uh, good. Angela Weber introduced us at lunch. She prefers to be called Bella, actually." I said, grateful for that brief moment of interaction with Bella today at lunch.

"Is that so?" He said, enthusiastic that I learned a new piece of information about the new girl next door.

"Yep" I smiled, although it felt extremely fake to me. I hoped Francis couldn't sense it. He walked over to me, arms extended and hugged me. We swayed for a moment, his chin poking into the top of my head.

"I'm so proud of you, honey." He whispered before letting go.

I smiled a genuine smile, happy to know that I finally made Francis proud of me, that maybe I wasn't as much of a failure as I thought.

**A/N: GAH, I know, another author's note, like I didn't say enough already haha. I just wanted to let you guys know I won't be posting the next chapter for a while. I have final exams in a week that last another week after that, so I'll be studying my tooshie off for the next 9 days, and then writing exams until the 18th. The good news is after the 18th I will have four months off to write as much as I want, so updates will be much quicker once exams are over! So hang tight and thanks for your patience. **

**Don't forget to REVIEW!! :D **


	3. Chapter 3 Open Book

**A/N: Finally, an update! Sorry about the wait, hopefully things will be moving a lot quicker now that I'm done school. Here's the deal with this chapter, a lot goes on in Chapter 2 of Twilight and it ends up seeping into the next chapter so I decided that instead of shoving Edward's absence, return, the car accident and the hospital all into one chapter, I'd split it up. This way I could upload this now and then (unfortunatley) you'd have to wait until the next part. I'm not sure yet whether it'll be a continuation of chapter 3, or the beginning of chapter 4 with a journal entry. There's a lot of exciting things within this chapter and coming up. This chapter is quite lengthy, but there's a lot going on and a bit more dialogue than in previous chapters. In this chapter Annie talks to Bella and Dr. Cullen, which I thought was pretty exciting and she also tries to cope with Edward's long absence. Anywho, I hope you enjoy it. I'm kind of on the fence with this chapter to be completely honest, being away from the story for a week and a half kind of messed me up a bit, so hopefully it still sounds like Annie and not some different version of her. The next chapter will be all about the car accident and the hospital, with the interaction between Annie and Edward, along with the switch in PoVs. I hope you like it, please review and let me know or if you have any suggestions, you're more than welcome to share them :) **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight, but Stephenie Meyer sure does. **

**P.S: The journal is exactly the same as when I posted it before, so if you already read it you could skip over it if you'd like. **

**Observation One: Bella Swan**

**+ Cullens Cont'd**

Name of Subject: Isabella Swan, a.k.a Bella

Age: 17

Father: Charlie Swan, Forks Police Chief

Mother: Renee, divorced Swan seventeen years prior

Residence: Forks, Washington (recently). Previous residence in Phoenix, Arizona

Appearance/Mannerisms: slender build, pale skin, long hair, brunette, brown eyes, full lips, blushes easily and often when embarrassed, slight awkwardness, possible clumsiness although evidence is sparse as of yet, subject often appeared constricted and closed in, walked at a quick pace throughout observation period, hid behind hair and hood of jacket making precise and detailed observation unattainable

My first day of observing Bella Swan was much less eventful than I had anticipated. Her body language was very clear in that she did not want to draw any attention to herself. Obviously the opposite occurred, with every student's eyes locked on her as she quickly moved past them. In fact, many students of the 'in' crowd took an interest in Bella, including Eric Yorkie, Mike Newton, Angela Weber and Jessica Stanley. I predict she'll become a member of their social cohort and thrive within it. Something of little interest to keep tabs on is the wager going on between Eric and Mike for the affections of Bella Swan. Mike seems to have captured her interest above Eric and I've officially put Eric in the Bella's friend zone, for he lacks the charm and skill to attract a female romantically during those first crucial encounters. First impressions truly are important, and unfortunately Eric's are too eager and overtly friendly, deeming him just so. Unfortunately for both parties involved in this wager, Bella does not seem very interested, although Mike's attempt did show more promise.

Overall, Bella Swan is not a sizzling topic of interest for me as I initially assumed she would be. To be quite frank, she is a disappointment. It's such a shame. I was really looking forward to a new personality in Forks, but it seems as though she's falling by the wayside like the rest of them, escaping my line of interest. I'd probably enjoy observing Gladys in her reaction to Bella's hyped up arrival more than I did observing Bella herself.

However, Bella Swan did cause a bit of a disruption among the Cullens, more specifically with Edward Cullen. It is this disruption that slowly shaved another layer from their secret, bringing it slightly closer to the surface. Edward Cullen, a usually polite, courteous student with a stance carved out of stone, acted quite out of character in reaction to Bella. His first sight of her did not cause any reaction, but as he caught her staring a new frustration began to brew within him. It's unknown what the catalyst was to his change in expression and position, but I do know it is because of Bella Swan. The change did not last long and it was dismissed until Edward's extremely strange behaviour in Biology, while in close proximity to the stimulus that was Bella Swan. He revealed things I never knew him to be capable of. He tensed in his seat, apparently not breathing, as he clutched the corner of the lab table with such strength that his fingers moulded into the wood.

Now, I'm no expert on wood, but the structure and material of a lab table is made specifically to withstand the rigors of a lab environment. So how is it that a male of quite a slender build and skin too pale to be healthy was able to not only leave an impression of his fingers in the corner of the table, but to also have the strength to then shave the imprints away with the quick motion and pressure of a single hand? And the left one, no less! Edward Cullen is right handed, which would deem the left weaker than the right in most cases. Even if his left hand is equipped with the same strength as the right, a human hand of any respect should not – could not – even begin to have the capability to do completely dismantle the edge of a lab table.

Another peculiarity of Edward's behaviour is that of the emotions hate and anger. Edward, or any of the Cullens for that matter, have shown nothing but a polite and humble demeanour since the day they moved here; with the minor exception of Jasper who, although also polite and humble, exhibited to be tensed and in pain almost all of the time, a minor deviation from the rest of the family. So it was of great surprise to witness a Cullen be anything but polite and humble. It was also the intensity and ferocity of his anger that was startling. The object of his distaste was also unusual in that he had not formally met Bella Swan and could therefore have no grounds to show such strong hatred toward her. It is something, even to this second in time, that I find myself questioning Edward's reasoning. Is there something he picked up on about Bella that the rest of us hadn't in the period between lunch and Biology? Had he ventured into a deeper plane of her personality, uncovering something exceptionally revolting? It is something I will have to pay extra attention to next day.

It is on a side note that I mention the eye color of the Cullens, a constant uncertainty of mine. The usual eye color for all five Cullen children is that of a topaz, golden shade. It is only every so often, more specifically ever couple of weeks, that eye color drastically converts to that of a dark, black shade. The abnormality exists in the extreme shift between hues of color, as well as the time period in which the change occurs between the Cullens. It is quite odd that the change occurs at the exact same time and duration of time for all five of the subjects. It is clear that there is some link between the change of eye color, time of change and the Cullens themselves, but that link remains unknown.

***

I pushed my laptop away, feeling a hint of frustration. For years I've scrutinized every aspect of the Cullens to the deepest extent and have come up with nothing. Now this Bella Swan waltzes in and changes everything. What is it about her that has caused such a rift in their facade? I suppose I should be grateful to her for exposing this part of Edward and for confirming my suspicions about the family as a whole, but something about it irked me. Why her? What was so special about that plain Jane of a girl that could affect the Godliness and perfection that is Cullen? It is yet another mystery for me to solve.

My thoughts then hovered over the issue of the Cullen's eye color, an oddity that has become almost normal in its routine. It seems nearly insignificant to note it now, since I've witnessed it so many times. It's an expected change, just like the dead heat of summer that fades into the bitter chill of winter; both changes drastic, but normal, expected. It isn't something one questions after growing accustomed to it. However, it is something I have yet to solve and therefore it will remain as a part of my observations of the Cullens. I haven't given up on it yet, for to do that would be to forfeit the purpose of it all, making observing meaningless and that is something I will not disparage observing to.

I collapsed back onto the inviting warmth and softness of my bed and stared at the clock that reminded me I'd be late for school if I didn't get going soon. Or rather, I'd be late to see Bella's entrance of day 2 of her arrival and would miss anything potentially interesting. Some change in the behaviour of other students was to be expected, now that they've caught at least a glimpse of the new face in Forks, but it wasn't the behaviour of the average student body that I was interested in. I wanted to be there the moment Edward Cullen's eyes glaze over Bella for the first time today. I wanted to see what it is about her that set him off. Was it the nuisance of a new name to learn? Although, I'm sure memorizing a simple name was the least of his capabilities, and it's not like he was obliged to befriend her anyway. Maybe Edward Cullen was a man of consistency and didn't welcome change, regardless if it affected him directly or not. He did have that lab table all to himself for the first half of the semester, it's reasonable to assume he prefers working alone. Neither he, nor his siblings interacted with anyone outside of their tight-knit group, so maybe the forced interaction with another is what angered him. The more I thought about it, the more it seemed fitting. It was only logical that he simply preferred to work on his own. Yes, that had to be it.

But, the more I replayed the occurrence in my mind, the more irrational it became. Yes, to the average person Edward's behaviour was explicit in that he disliked the Swan girl, but to me it was so much more than that. It was the intensity, the swift reaction to her as she approached him, sitting in a close proximity to him that no one but his family had the privilege of doing. The more I considered the switch in Edward's stance, the force behind his body, his hand in the lab table, the more I realized that the hate was physical. Did he not like strawberry scents?

I continued to rattle my brain for reasons why Edward would so passionately despise Bella on the spot with such vigour. Every logical reason could fit, that wasn't the problem. It was that every reason I came up with wasn't enough, something was lacking that didn't measure up to the extent of his emotion. My mind went back and forth from the calm, cool, confident and perfect Edward I was accustomed to seeing everyday and the dark, vengeful and spiteful one that appeared in Biology. It was like looking at two completely different entities. Was he schizophrenic? Was the addition of a new face in his life enough to trigger it?

Not knowing the reason why, not being able to read it on his face or in his body was excruciating. I needed to know. He must be uncomfortable being so close to someone he doesn't know and the fact that he has to work with her and be near to her every day. That's the only thing that makes sense to me, the one reason that combines every possible explanation. That's it. I think...

Okay, so maybe I'm just trying to convince myself of this solution rather than accepting the fact that everything about Edward's behaviour yesterday was neither rational nor logical. All of this uncertainty was giving me a headache. I had to revert back to the one concrete piece of information I knew, and that was that Edward hated Bella. The question persistently remains as to why.

I sighed, knowing that stressing out over an explanation I can never get on my own is pointless and needed to go to the source. Seeing Edward's reaction to Bella today would be the answer to it all. If he reacts the same way then he dislikes Bella as a person, which would mean more uncertainty and more digging until I figure out why. If he doesn't react to her then it was just an adjustment thing, that his reaction yesterday was practical in that he hasn't mingled with anyone outside of his family for two years and now he'd be forced to share relations with Bella during Biology labs. Knowing all would be solved within the next few hours calmed my nerves and made me a little excited to go to school. Just a little.

I hopped out of bed in haste to brush my teeth, do something with my hair, get dressed and leave. It didn't look like breakfast would be a part of my morning routine this morning since I spent fifteen minutes recording my observations from yesterday. I groaned, not because I wanted to eat breakfast that badly, but because I knew Francis would get suspicious. I went through a bit of a 'not eating phase' right after my mom died. I just couldn't bring myself to eat anything. The pain of it all consumed me and suppressed my appetite. Anyway, ever since then Francis gets all panicky if I happen to skip breakfast every so often. I suppose a quick bite of something wouldn't take that much time.

I plopped one foot after the other down the dark, creaky wooden steps and noticed good ol' Francis hovering over a bowl of cereal with the newspaper elevated in front of him. He fiddled with the collapsing corners as he read, growing more aggravated with the flimsiness of the paper.

"Morning, Dad" I said with a chuckle as I reached for the cereal box.

"Hey kiddo." He said, trying to close the paper, but failing. He huffed, finally crumpling it into a ball and pushing it aside. "I can never understand why they don't make these things smaller."

I just laughed, shoving a spoonful of Cheerio's into my mouth. Francis was in a very cheerful mood this morning. Not to say he wasn't always in a good mood, but he emitted a glow that wasn't familiar, at least not anymore. It was a glow of happiness that would emanate from his being whenever my mom came down the stairs in the morning, all those years ago, his lighting up at the mere sight of her. I stared closer at him as he swirled his spoon in the milk remaining in his bowl and wondered how it was possible that he was glowing that same way now. What has changed to make him glow like that again?

He looked up at me and smiled, his eyes falling back to the remaining Cheerio in his bowl and then to his watch.

"You're up early." He said, examining the hands on his wrist watch.

"It's not that early, Dad." I said, rolling my eyes and hoping he didn't get the wrong idea about this.

Just then I heard the boisterous roar of Bella's truck and turned to see her pulling out of her driveway.

"Shoot!" I whispered harshly, scooping up my copy of _Wuthering Heights_ from the counter for English before running out the door to my car.

Francis was completely stunned, having no idea why I was in such a hurry. Bless his oblivious little heart.

I made it to my car without getting wet this morning, thankful that it didn't rain on the rare occasion that I wore my hair down. The clouds were quite dense though, keeping their stance over Forks and reminding us that just because it's not raining now, doesn't mean it won't be raining ten seconds from now. I would enjoy the frizz-free moments while they lasted.

When I pulled into the parking lot I spotted the Cullen's silver car and Bella's truck not too far away, with an empty parking space just three spots over. I snatched it just as Jessica Stanley was about to pull in. I laughed out loud to myself when I caught a glimpse of her angered face. It made me all warm and fuzzy inside.

I sat still in my car and watched as Bella walked towards building 3, her head down and pace quick, but her stance not as closed in and cautious as yesterday. She seemed to begin feeling a bit more comfortable with her new surroundings. People weren't noticing her as much as yesterday, the odd person sparing a quick glance as she walked by, but other than that all was back to normal. Everyone had caught at least a glimpse of the new face yesterday and now the excitement of the new girl had faded, recognizing her as another familiar face. That was quick. Either she really is that special to fit in right away, or she's just as ordinary as I thought she was and people were bored. I'd bet money on the last option.

I scanned the parking lot once more before stepping out of my car, paying special attention for Edward's face. I didn't see him or his siblings, assuming they were already inside. I shrugged and walked towards English, hoping time could be on my side just once and get me to lunch faster today.

Mike Newton possessed the qualities of the dog everyone wished they had. He was loyal, obedient, playful and Bella Swan's best friend. Whoever trained that pup trained him well. I found myself nodding in agreement with my own thoughts as I watched him sit next to Bella during our English class, his attentions completely focused on her. It was as if she was the only other person existing in his world, for his eyes never left her. That is, except for the quick, taunting glances he'd shoot back at Eric Yorkie, who glared at Mike for being with the girl he wished was his. Only 2 days in and Bella Swan has already created a full on rivalry between two boys. I averted my gaze from the two love birds and caught a glimpse of Eric's angered and defeated face. His eyes were narrowed inward, brows furrowed as he stared daggers into Mike. His breathing was quick and heavy, his body very tense in his seat. His lips were parted and every so often his gaze would avert to his desk, his expression softening as he admitted defeat. But Eric was a fighter and ten minutes later he was back to his stiffened, tense posture and hateful stares as he plotted ways to win Bella back. I shook my head, knowing Eric lost a long time ago.

Bella turned to meet the pair of eyes that have been burning into her back during the entire class and noticed Eric stare angrily at Mike, making a flush of red colour her pale cheeks, a smile tugging at one corner of her lip. Bella Swan was flattered by the attention. Funny, considering yesterday she tried her hardest to avoid it. In fact, it's quite hypocritical and just thinking about the hasty difference in Bella's behaviour was making me feel a bit sour. Sure, it's only natural to become more relaxed and comfortable as one becomes more familiar with a new environment, but to change their state of mind completely in a day just seemed peculiar to me. It made me think that Bella was just like every girl here, all pining for the attention of the male population and searching for the greatest forms of acceptance and that, to me, was disappointing. Sure, the plain Bella wasn't very interesting, but at least she was different from the other girls here, the one's I've grown so tired and annoyed of. I reminded myself to give her the benefit of the doubt, to try not to judge her based on one reaction. I suppose I was just getting a bit antsy for lunch time.

The next few hours felt like days. Time is so uncooperative.

Mike walked Bella to Government, which was predictable. Unfortunately, poor pup had to be separated from his master until lunch. As he walked away he exhibited a big, wide smile on his face which also seemed canine-like. When the owner's away, the dogs will play. When separated from Mike, Bella's attentions seemed to be elsewhere. It didn't seem like she was paying attention at all, instead remaining deep in thought until the bell rang.

I scoured the halls on my way to my next class, hoping to see Edward, to know that my anxiety and anticipation wouldn't be wasted. He was here, I knew he was. It wasn't even a question. It was gloomy outside, not even a hint of sun. Plus, their car was in the parking lot. I shouldn't worry so much, it was driving me mad.

Trigonometry was uneventful, apart from when Mr. Varner called on Bella unexpectedly and she blurted out the wrong answer, resulting in her cheeks blushing. It seemed as though, no matter what the stimuli, Bella blushed. Sometimes the color was more prominent, but she was always blushing nonetheless. I've never in my life seen blood rush to the skin as much as I have in the past two days.

Spanish seemed to follow the same suit as the past three hours, with Bella off into space somewhere with me staring at her. About halfway through class I grew tired of watching her do nothing, so I started observing other people for a bit, getting back into old habits. Derek Matthews, a pimply, nerdy fellow couldn't keep his eyes off of Melissa Kohlberg, a trampy blonde. He'd lick his lips as he scanned her body up and down and up again. She caught him staring and smiled, but it wasn't a genuine smile. A genuine smile spreads throughout the entire face, but this one remained taut in the lips as she turned to her friend sitting next to her, releasing the smile and exhibiting a look of disgust. I shrugged, guessing acne medication and STDs weren't exactly a healthy mix. Then there was Priscilla Downey, with her head rested on her hand as she released a sigh and batted her eyelashes in Derek's direction. While I was a sucker for love triangles and unrequited love, it also had that 'been there, done that' sensation, so my attention was directed back at Bella. Her gaze was directed at her desktop, brows furrowed and eyes moving from side to side, which meant she was thinking pensively about something. I turned my bottom lip into my mouth to hide a smile, realizing she had to be thinking about Edward Cullen, for no other being on this Earth can make one mesmerized like this. I bet Bella was looking forward to lunch almost as much as I was.

The minute hand on the clock ticked away at a meandering pace and I found myself growing angry at the round hunk of plastic. I imagined it spontaneously combusting, time ceasing to exist as we know it. I tensed in my seat, preparing to stand as it ticked away the last minute of class, signalling the lunch bell to ring. I let out an exasperated sigh as I stood and moved with the shuffle of bodies towards the cafeteria.

I reached the cafeteria before anyone else, only a few bodies scattered about the room when I took the same spot I had yesterday, happy it wasn't taken. I stretched my feet out on to the chair in front of me, getting comfortable before the show. Tables began to fill and I had to weave my head in between passing bodies in order to keep a clear view of entrance way. Finally, Angela's lively curls directed me to Bella as they walked in the Cafeteria and scanned it for a table. Bella's eyes caught the Cullen table and hovered there a bit too long. There was an empty chair where Edward should be, an emptiness that Bella's eyes narrowed in on. The emptiness there wasn't of deep concern for me. Some days Edward walked in a few minutes later than the rest of his siblings. He would be here. I depended on it.

Mike then appeared behind Bella and steered her towards his table which was slightly closer to where I was sitting. Whether this was a good thing I wasn't sure yet. It would be interesting to be so close yet remain inconspicuous, but the events of yesterday plagued my memory and I hoped that Angela would ignore me today so as to not draw attention to myself. I had no desire to be plucked from my solitariness and pushed into a group of chatterers that I could not tolerate. So far so good, as the three of them sat down, followed by Eric, Jessica and a group of Jessica's friends.

Jessica was beaming with happiness to be sitting with Mike at lunch. I turned away to hide a giggle at the obvious fact that Mike's only interest in this arrangement was Bella and Jessica was simply a minor inconvenience in his race towards the prize. It was also ironic that Jessica was acting like she was Bella's very best friend in order to get closer to Mike, who only wanted to get closer to Bella. Now _this_ is my kind of love triangle. Of course, we mustn't forget poor Eric, also in the running for Bella's affections. Now we have ourselves a square. But then, there was Angela who would grant herself a few glances in Eric's direction with a smile to let him know that she was interested in a subtle way that he was currently unaware of due to his desires for Bella. A love pentagon. Of course, we mustn't forget that Bella's interests did not lay with those at her table, but rather with Edward Cullen. It looks as though we may have ourselves a hexagon. This could get interesting.

Amidst the chatter and fluttering eye lashes I noticed Bella, her mind distant from the fuss amongst the group she was plopped in. Her eyes never left the cafeteria entrance as she stared at it intently, her posture tense as if expecting something to burst through it at any moment. Anxiety was clear in the constant tapping of her foot, her knee bobbing up and down feverishly as she burned a hole through the entrance way with her eyes. She then averted her gaze to Cullen table.

Four of the Cullen siblings sat together at their usual table, still an empty chair where Edward Cullen should be. My eyes widened in surprise, my fingers curling into a fist at the realization that Edward was not coming. It's never taken him this long to join his family at lunch. I looked out the window behind them, clouds thick and grey as rain fell to ground. There was no sun and the rest of them were here, so he of course had to be here too. He's probably skipping lunch or something, it's not like either of them eat here anyway. My foot began tapping against the linoleum floor as I too stared intently at the door, imagining Edward busting through it. I waited all day for this moment, only for it to be robbed from me. This was unacceptable. Now what was I going to do?

I stared back at the remaining Cullens with a now lack of interest. The four of them were predictable, their actions expected. Neither of them had outbursts like Edward did and I doubt they would start now. Alice had her arm linked with Jasper's, who of course seemed to be in agony. Emmett and Rosalie were turned into each other, staring at one another without words. I sighed, bored already. Their beauty can only hold one's attention for so long. After seeing them for two years, the shocking perfection of their appearance becomes slightly less amazing and easier to ignore. On a side note, their eye colour was golden today, continuing the cycle again. In a couple of weeks they would surely be black. It was just as I was about to turn away that Rosalie shocked me. She turned away from Emmett, and glared at Bella with a look of disapproval and disgust. I stared at her for a moment, studying the new expression that graced her face. It wasn't as drastic as Edward's change in behaviour but it was something different, an emotion I've never seen painted against the angles of her face. So, Rosalie doesn't like Bella either. It was strange, since she hasn't even met her. Maybe Edward said something to her about Bella, passing on the hatred. Alice, Jasper and Emmett glanced casually at Bella then, quickly returning their gazes to their own table with a sense of indifference. Other than that, their behaviour was normal, so for Rosalie to be the only one to exhibit a similar emotion towards Bella as Edward had was very odd from my perspective. While this added another piece to the Cullen puzzle, it also created another quandary without a solution. Something about Bella was unpleasant to Edward and now Rosalie. The question still remains as to what. Edward better be here tomorrow to give me some answers. Even considering the idea of him not being here tomorrow was excruciating. I hated to be stumped and confused like this for longer than I needed to be. Maybe he'll surprise us and be in Biology, he could simply be skipping lunch just as I'd speculated.

Alice stood up then, her chair silent as it slid back against the linoleum floor. She deposited her tray of uneaten food into a nearby garbage can and left the cafeteria, with Jasper following close behind. Emmett and Rosalie stood up next, Rosalie casting one last glance in Bella's direction before walking out the door.

I turned my attention back to Bella's table, those around her chattering just as they had before. She sighed once the Cullens left, her body easing off some of the tension it held moments ago. The Cullens made her nervous, which wasn't surprising. To a newcomer, the mere sight of them can be overwhelming. I knew Edward's behaviour had taken a toll on her. I hoped now with all of my might that he would be seated at his lab table when I walk into Biology. I anticipated disappointment, but a part of me couldn't help but hope that he would be there, that everything would fall into place today. I've never needed answers as much as I do now. I clutched my abdomen at the sickening feeling that dispersed throughout my body at the thought of walking in to see an empty lab table where Edward should be. The need to observe has taken a physical toll on me, a reaction only caused when the Cullens are involved.

I glanced at the clock and cursed the twelve minutes that remained on the lunch hour. I've never wanted to get out of here as much as I had at that moment. There held nothing of interest for me here. I felt a strong desire to get to Biology before anyone else had, to be there to see Edward walk through the door. I was caught up in my own imagination as I pictured myself seated at my lab table, strumming my fingers when Edward walks through the door and takes his seat, his scent wafting up to my nose. I sighed, remembering the scent strongly. I stood up abruptly then, my chair emitting a loud screech that echoed through the cafeteria, causing it to go silent and all heads to turn in my direction. I wished then that someone could pull the trigger to a miraculously appearing fire arm and shoot me down. At least that would give them something worthy of staring at and me the bliss of not being around to notice it. The sensation of 357 pairs of eyes scrutinizing and questioning your very existence is extremely unbearable. They all watched me shuffle out of the cafeteria as if they hadn't known me for seventeen years. It caused a wave of despair to wash over me as I reached the door to the Biology room, sliding to the floor next to the locked door with arms wrapped around my knees. It took every ounce of will in my body to keep me from running out to the parking lot and going home, to retreat to the lilac walls of my bedroom, my sanctuary. But, I couldn't go, not now. I needed to stay for Biology. For Edward.

I sighed, stretching my legs out in front of me and relaxing my body as I brushed off the incident in the cafeteria. Everyone is probably over it by now anyway. The teenage attention span is like that of a fish.

Mr. Banner slid his key into the lock on the door and looked down at me curiously.

"Hey, Annie." He said, focused on turning the key in the lock. The lock snapped open and Mr. Banner opened the door, stepping aside and nodding at me to enter. I stood up, giving him a slight smile before stepping into the classroom and taking my seat. It was awkward being in a room alone with another person, especially one of authority. I hoped he wouldn't feel the need to try small talk with me while we waited for lunch to end and class to commence. Silent moments ticked away and I relaxed in my seat, taking comfort in the silence. I stared down at Edward's empty stool and pictured his stiff back facing me as it always has. For a moment it were as though he and I were alone in the room, separate and together at the same time. My eyes then fell to the ground and I noticed a single shaving of wood. I began strumming my fingers as I stared at the lone shaving, my eyes catching the time on the clock every 9 seconds, wanting so badly to pick it up. I looked at Mr. Banner who was busy flipping through some papers on his desk. I casually removed a pencil from my pencil case, placing it in front of me, allowing it to teeter at the edge of the table. I leaned down toward the surface of the table, my eyes on Mr. Banner as I let out a quick expulsion of breath and sat back quickly, anticipating the clank of the pencil hitting the floor. I was on my feet at the first hint of the sound, meandering my way around the lab table that separated mine from Edward's, slid behind the space between his stool and the lab table behind me, knelt down and snatched the shaving and my pencil. I stood and lingered for a moment above Edward's stool before turning to return to my own, my fingers brushing the edge of his seat as I walked past it.

Once I was seated my eyes darted around the room as if a life altering secret lay hidden in my palm. I pushed the shaving in between my thumb and index finger, revelling in the rigidness of it and the fact that this shaving was born from Edward Cullen's hands.

The shuffle of feet growing louder made me feel a bit guilty and scandalous for having the shaving, so I quickly slipped it into my pencil case, hoping there weren't any witnesses.

Bella then filed into the room with Mike faithfully by her side. She didn't seem to care much for his company, the flattery of his attention had faded. She held herself with more confidence now, the hiding phase over, which I was very grateful for. But of course this backfired with the fact that I was sitting behind her and, unless she turned to the side, I wouldn't be able to see her unhidden face. She exhaled as she took her seat and I wondered if it was due to relief that Edward really wasn't here, or if it were due to disappointment. My thoughts were interrupted as Mike went on raving about a trip he was planning to La Push beach on the Quileute reservation. It wondered briefly about the Quileute tribe that lived on the reservation near town and how strange a few of the boys were and that they exhibited an odd distaste for the Cullens. I made a mental note to venture down that avenue of suspicion further in one of my upcoming journal entries. For now, my entries were devoted to a certain Cullen and the now not so new girl.

The bell rang, signalling Mike to return to his own lab table with his partner, Ashley. He barely gave her a second glance as he took his seat, his eyes still on Bella. She seemed to be enjoying having the table all to herself. She sat towards the middle of the table, her body hanging comfortably on the stool.

As class droned on I couldn't help but stare at the empty space next to Bella, wondering where he could be, what could possibly be so important for him to miss school. And why was he doing it alone? Did he hate Bella that much that he left town? No, his car was here, so maybe he just stayed home. The Cullens did have quite the car collection, though, so he could have easily taken another, more expensive vehicle. But where could he have gone? I've never seen a Cullen escape the constant hover of clouds ever since they arrived here. In fact, it was almost as if they welcomed it whole-heartedly. They seemed so backwards, coming out when it was cloudy, disappearing when it's sunny.

I could sense my lab partner was getting frustrated with my absent-mindedness and figured I should lend a hand with this worksheet we had to fill out. Atoms and molecules were just peachy, but they were nothing compared to Edward Cullen. I sighed, knowing I wouldn't be able to get lost in his hair today.

Gym was a class I intended on skipping today. I swung my bag over my shoulder, happy to be going home when Coach Clapp walked past me on his way to the gym, noticing that I was going in the wrong direction.

"Ms. McCord, I certainly hope you're on your way to retrieve your uniform." He said, stopping me.

I nodded and turned to walk towards the gym, feeling his eyes on me the entire time. So I skipped a few classes, or twenty, sue me. I guess I took advantage of the fact that people tended to take it easy with me because of how hard I took my mom's death. I think people got the impression I was mentally unstable, which wasn't true at all, but hey if it got me out of gym then who was I to keep them from thinking that? So, Coach Clapp took pity on me and gave me warnings instead of well deserved detentions. I groaned as I turned into the girl's locker room, plotting a way to skip out without getting caught tomorrow.

We were playing volleyball again and with luck on my side for once, Bella and I were place on the same team. Unfortunately, I was placed in the front while she was in the back, so access to view her face was quite limited. The game went on alright, the girls on my team working around me as they were accustomed to on the rare occasion I showed up to class. I dodged and weaved to make it look like I was doing something when I realized I had no idea where the ball was. I got my answer when it hit me in the back of the head. I let out a grunt, my palm pressing into the affected area as I turned to see Bella with her hand over her mouth, eyes wide with shock. And we have a culprit. She apologized and I nodded, walking to the bench and hyping up the severity of the injury so that I could sit out. This was a clear reminder of why I never came to gym class. Yep, definitely skipping tomorrow.

Class ended and all of the girls shuffled into the changing rooms. I hated going in there and changing in front of 20 insecure girls looking for a way to make themselves feel better by scrutinizing the bodies around them. I could live with being in a gross uniform for ten more minutes. I walked over to my car and sat there for a few minutes, rubbing the back of my head as I went over my horrid day. It can't get any worse than this, not when Edward isn't in school.

The loud roar of Bella's truck awoke me from my contemplations and I started my car to follow her out of the parking lot, even though we were basically going to the same place. I noticed her head turn as we passed the Cullen's car and I couldn't keep myself from glancing at them also. It felt wrong to see only four where five should be. I sighed, averting my gaze to the road when I noticed Bella turn in the wrong direction of home. Thinking she may have gotten confused, I followed her. Bella proceeded to drive and then turned into the Thriftway. I laughed at myself for thinking she could have gotten lost. It's a small town, it's not difficult to find your way around and the chances of getting lost are slim to none. I considered going in and spying on her in between cans of green beans from the next aisle, but then decided against it. If she wasn't interesting in school, she certainly wouldn't be interesting in a supermarket. Maybe she had some quirky grocery shopping habits, but it just wasn't worth my time. I turned around in the parking lot of the Thriftway just as Bella parked and headed home.

Francis was nowhere in sight when I walked through the door. It smelled like pizza and sure enough, when I stepped into the kitchen there was a medium-sized, white pizza box on the counter. The pizza wasn't strange, we ordered it every so often, but the timing was. We never ate this early. I stepped cautiously towards the staircase, stepping up the first three steps with the balls of my feet when the strong scent of Armani cologne hit me so intensely my eyes began to water. Did he pour the entire bottle out on to the floor? He never wore expensive cologne unless he were going somewhere important, like a wedding or somewhere fancy like that. Then the realization of what was happening hit me harder than ten bottles of cologne ever could. I should have known what was going on the moment I saw the pizza box. My nostrils flared as I scurried up the stairs and stood in the doorway of his bedroom, the one he once shared with my mother, as he sat at the edge of the bed in front of the mirror of his dresser and looped a navy blue tie around his neck.

"Hey, pumpkin!" He said, his eyes never leaving his reflection as he positioned the tie against his neck, then folding the white collar of his shirt over it.

"What do you think? Does your old man look snappy or what?" He said, both hands on his knees as the elated expression on his face fell when he took in the angered one on mine. He tilted his head to the side and sighed.

"What is it, Annie?" He asked, as if he already rehearsed this argument before.

"You tell me." I shrugged. He stood up from the bed and removed the beige suit jacket from the hanger.

"It's just dinner, Annie, alright? Relax." He sighed, as he slipped his arms into the sleeves of his jacket.

"And afterwards?" I asked, leaning against one side of the threshold with arms crossed as I waited for his answer. He tugged the sides of the jacket, his head tilted downward, lips pouted and pressed tightly together as he stared at me in disapproval.

"Quit it. I'll be home at 8, just in time for the game, alright?"

I barely nodded in response. He sighed and walked out into the hallway and down the stairs. I shook my head in disbelief that he couldn't even tell me to my face that he was going to see Grace. I already knew it, there was no sense in beating around the bush about it. I could not understand what it was that he saw in her. I rolled my eyes, my head following suite when everything came together and the reason for his glowing face this morning became abundantly clear. He was glowing for Grace. I stared at the bed my father once shared with my mother and, for a moment, Grace's conniving face appeared atop my mother's pillow. I turned away and fumbled down the stairs, infuriated that all of this could eventually lead to that. I hoped I was long gone by then, off to college somewhere or something. I don't think I could bare it if she would be the woman to take my mother's place, and if she were then I wanted no part in it.

I sat in my room for a while, wondering what Francis was doing, what Grace was saying to him in order to weasel her way into our lives and imagining the face Francis put on as he fell for it, hanging on to her every word. My stomach growled and I agreed, the mere thought angering me too. I felt a twinge in the pit of my stomach and realized I hadn't eaten since lunch. I glanced at the clock, it was 6:47PM. Great, just one more hour of this guessing game until Francis gets home and then another twelve before I could forget all of this nonsense and avert my attentions to my observations, something that actually mattered. I made my way downstairs and stared at the box that was in the exact same position I found it in a few hours ago.

I flipped open the lid and stared down at the now cold wheel of bread, sauce and melted cheese. It looked and smelt great, but as I stared into the center of it, where all the triangle pieces connected, I couldn't bring myself to remove a piece. This meal was turning into some kind of metaphor for my life. Here was a perfect puzzle, each piece playing a significant part and all connecting to a common center. It was complete, whole. Take away a piece and you take away its entire being, its purpose. Now something has to fill that space, to make it complete again or else it simply can't function. An individual could rebuild that piece and become a new, restored whole, which is ideal and expected. But an individual could also ignore the empty space and continue existing with the impression of being complete, the knowledge of being incomplete falling further into the subconscious until it resurfaces again someday.

It also became a metaphor for observing. Here you have a subject that has been fully assessed, every aspect of them has been realized and set into its allotted place upon discovery, placed in a box and pushed aside with a sense of accomplishment. Take away slices of the pizza and you have a subject with pieces of them still undiscovered. Like Bella Swan, for instance. Her pizza has slowly begun to build, slice by slice as I learn about her background, her appearance, her mannerisms, her character...but there are still cardboard triangles where the missing pieces need to go. I still don't know exactly the kind of person she is, I don't know her likes or dislikes, I don't know what it is about her that the Cullens have an aversion to, and so on. Edward Cullen, on the other hand, has a very sparse looking pizza. There's a half eaten crust here and there, a sliver of a slice connecting to the center of the box, but mostly everything is scattered. Every bit of information I learn about him is like an extra topping. It's there and it adds some extra flavours but without the bread, the sauce and the cheese that extra topping is meaningless. And right now, the Edward Cullen pizza is looking like a cardboard box full of toppings.

I sighed, swatting the top of the box back down and settling for some macaroni and cheese from a box. I missed Bella's arrival back home while I was deep in metaphorical thought about a pizza, my knowledge of her presence becoming aware as the darkness of her room was lit up by a flamboyant blue glow coming from her computer screen. Looks like she's putting the computer Charlie got her to good use. I returned my attention to a now boiling pot of water and poured in the noodles without thought. Wuthering Heights was poking out of my book bag on the counter and I considered reading it while I waited for the macaroni to cook, but then decided against it. I wasn't in the mood for romance tonight.

I sat at the kitchen table by myself, eating the meal I prepared and felt utterly useless. I considered writing another journal entry, just to pass the time, but I didn't really have much to report besides Edward's absence. I decided to wait until tomorrow, when Edward would return and give me something to actually write about. If I started writing now I would probably end up with pages upon pages of all the reasons why I despised Grace and I wouldn't waste precious space on my laptop for that garbage. I heard plates and utensils clanking and turned to look out the window, revealing Bella and Charlie's dinner arrangements. They sat similarly to Francis and I, each of them occupying one end of the table. Bella cooked the meal consisting of steak and potatoes, I was sure of it. Charlie's idea of a well balanced meal was frozen TV dinners or burgers at the diner. I was glad someone was there to take care of him now. I remembered my mom used to take food to him sometimes, claiming she cooked a bit extra by accident, when in reality she was just worried for his health. She always considered everyone else before she did anything. I smiled at the pleasant memory before tucking it away, back under the thick layers in my mind that it had escaped from.

I could see Bella and Charlie were talking, the only problem was that I couldn't hear them. I opened the window and stood by nonchalantly, hoping to catch on to what they were saying but it wasn't working.

Watching their mouths move without sound taking form in congruence with the shapes their lips took and the inner workings of tongues against teeth and palette was killing me. It took all of the self control I could muster to keep myself from leaping out the window and pressing my ear to the crack of screen exposed in the window of the kitchen of the Swan house. I pressed my palms into the countertop, willing my ability to hear to take on a superhuman form, for their voices to filter into my ears. It was then that my fingers brushed the soft edge of my worn down, tattered copy of _Wuthering Heights_. I smiled to myself, a way to hear the conversation next door revealing itself to me. I had the habit of reading outside on the front porch at night, when the sky isn't completely blackened and a light mist is stagnant in the air. I could take my usual place on the front porch, a corner closest to the Swan house, and listen to the conversation without suspicion. The smile continued to dance across my face as I scooped up the book and headed towards the door.

I pulled the hood of my favourite black sweater up and over my head, my hair flowing in two sections on either side of my face like rivers of chocolate. Very frizzy rivers, but river-like nonetheless. The rain had ceased for the time being, leaving behind nothing but a coolness in the air and the refreshing scent of rain that has filtered into the dirt beneath the grass. The mist that I most desired was also lacking, but I couldn't care less at the moment, for my attentions were guided elsewhere as I took my seat and opened my book to 'read'. I pulled my hood back slightly, leaving my ear exposed as I tilted my head upwards towards the right, in the direction of the muffled, echoing voices that filtered out of the Swan residence.

"They...the kids...are a little different. They don't seem to fit in well at school." Bella's voice echoed out to me. My lip tugged at the knowledge of what 'kids' she was talking about. She asked Charlie about the Cullens, which proves her interest in them. My interest in Bella spiked slightly for the moment. Anything correlated with the Cullens holds my interest, and for the time being that something was Bella. I sighed, relieved that there would finally be some journal-worthy action today.

Charlie's response was startling but not a shocking one. His anger shone through his tone of voice as he explained that the Cullens were wonderful people, that Dr. Cullen is a brilliant surgeon and that the kids have never caused any trouble for him since they moved here. Charlie held a lot of respect for the Cullens and always found it irksome when townspeople would chatter about them. He and Francis have had numerous talks about the subject, both frustrated at the small-mindedness of our fellow neighbours. Some of the rumours people came up with were so ridiculous that even I felt rotten about the people I shared a town with. They were different and anything that's different is automatically the target of town gossip. It has settled down as time has passed and people have gotten to know the Cullens, but the rumour mill still spins for them to this very moment.

"They seemed nice to me. I just noticed they kept to themselves." Bella said in response to Charlie's speech. Who was she kidding? They seemed nice? Yeah right, as if she weren't still haunted by Edward's death stares from Biology yesterday. Give me a break. Sometimes this girl spewed out nonsense like cheese from a can.

"They're all very attractive." She added. Can't argue with her there.

"You should see the doctor." Charlie laughed. "It's a good thing he's happily married. A lot of the nurses at the hospital have a hard time concentrating on their work with him around."

Did someone mention Grace? Ugh, just thinking about her made me want to hurl.

Bella and Charlie said nothing else after that, and I found myself trying to focus my attentions on the book I was supposedly reading. Unfortunately, the malady that is Grace Hawthorne was infecting every tissue in my body, making it difficult to properly concentrate. I granted myself a look into the Swan kitchen, a glance at Bella now that the conversation had died. She sat there silent, stabbing her fork into a potato when I made the mistake of staring too long, for she met my gaze before I had the chance to look away. I was locked there for a moment, before finally pulling myself away. My heart was racing and my breathing

quick as I heaved in oxygen to settle the embarrassment of being caught observing. I hated when this happened. Usually, I'm very discreet with my observing, but sometimes my eyes hover seconds too long and I'm caught red handed. It's not like they know what I'm doing, I'm just some person staring, but it feels like my entire being is revealed and I'm left feeling bare and vulnerable.

I sighed, my heart rate normal and the embarrassment faded as I closed the book that laid flat on my lap, and stared out into the darkening sky. I could see the shapes of clouds as they passed overhead and noticed a break between them, revealing the twinkle of a star. It was one of those moments I found myself questioning the world. This rarely happened, but when that break in the clouds is visible and something beautiful like the glitter of a star reveals itself to me, I can't help but wonder about what's out there. It's one of those times I feel so closed off and sheltered, not only because of the small town I live in but because of the person I've become.

My contemplations were interrupted by the sound of a door swinging shut and the rustle of feet shuffling through grass. The rustle got louder and by the time I realized they were coming in my direction she was already closely approaching the side of the porch I was sitting on, emitting the prominent sound of oxygen being sucked in at my right. I turned to meet her eager gaze, a quick smile spreading across my face to mimic hers. Seeing Bella on the other side of the porch railing, so close to me, breathing...it was like a dream. I had never been in such close proximity with a subject before. First, it was the smile in the cafeteria, then the volleyball to the head and now this. Did she think we were friends or something? Interactions with my subjects very rarely occurred, so I never really knew if it would be of any value. Maybe Bella would be the subject I could test this theory out on. The thought of it made me uneasy, but she was here now so I might as well make the most of this opportunity. The only problem was, I had no idea how to strike up a casual conversation with her. I considered some form of girl talk but knew how fake that would sound coming from me. I would just let her take the lead. Yeah, that could work.

"Hey, it's Annie, right?" She asked, her shoulders tensed as she slipped her hands into her pockets.

I nodded and waited for her to continue, to say something I could easily follow up.

"I – I just wanted to apologize again for hitting you with the volleyball today. I really shouldn't have been playing anyway, I'm not very co-ordinated." She said with a faint laugh at the end. Then she stared at me, wide-eyed, waiting for a reply. The left corner of my lip lifted forcefully and I knew I looked like a fool, but this was the best smile I could muster up in my uncomfortable state. I looked down at her feet as she shoved her toe into the dirt as I tried to figure out how to relay the message that it really is alright. I shook my head with a hint of a smile playing around my lips and swatted my hand down at the air. I knew I was failing miserably at this communication stuff and that I needed to actually say something. I inhaled deeply, forcing myself to speak.

"It's okay." I finally said, slightly louder than a whisper and the –ay dragging out in an expulsion of air that was meant to be a laugh.

"Okay, great." She smiled, still standing there. She stared at the ground pensively, signalling that there was more, yet she was not coming out with it. Was she waiting for me to say something? I turned away, my mouth twisting to the side as I sunk deeper into the awkwardness.

I was feeling absolutely clueless as to the direction this conversation was going to take. Do I ask her to join me on the porch, or do I walk over to her? Can I refer to her as Bella, or would that be weird since we haven't been formally introduced? Why on Earth is she talking to me? The silence that loomed between us grew longer as I tried to sift through my own thoughts of what to say or do in this foreign situation. Maybe I should ask her about how she likes Forks. I hated having to do it, it was such a generic question that she's already answered hundreds of times already, but nothing else seemed fitting. I turned to face her again, my lips parted, prepared to expel the dreaded question when I saw the Barracuda pull in to the driveway. Francis got out, his head down as he stepped up to the porch. He looked up to greet me and lit up when he noticed Bella on the other side of me.

"Isabella, it's so nice to see you!" He said, leaning over me with his hand reaching out to shake Bella's. "I'm Francis, remember?" He asked, a smile large across his face as his eyes glazed over me. I knew that hopeful and enthusiastic look right away. He thought I made a new friend and my eyes begged to roll in their sockets at the sight of the expression slapped on his face right now, but figured that could be misconstrued as rude and would make a bad impression. I wanted to follow through with this new breakthrough in observing and therefore needed to try my hardest to make this work.

"Yes, I remember. It's nice to see you again." Bella said, returning Francis' smile.

"Well, I'll leave you girls to it!" Francis beamed, winking at me as he turned to go inside.

A lump began to form in the center of my throat as the silence between Bella and I fell back into place and I realized I would have to do something to save this disastrous encounter.

"So...how are you liking Forks?" I said, my voice a bit hoarse. This conversing thing was tougher than I thought. It was so strange hearing myself speak out loud for such a long duration of time. I was so used to the voice inside my head; hearing it outside of that familiar realm was strange and slightly uncomfortable.

"It's alright...very wet." Bella said with a chuckle.

"Yeah" I said, attempting to laugh but failing miserably. I wished she would get to the point of her visit already, I began feeling a bit antsy about being so close to her. Maybe observing so closely wasn't what I imagined it could be. Getting an insider's perspective required a lot of effort and interaction that I was not completely comfortable with. Bella took in a deep breath and I let out a little sigh of relief that the small talk was finally over.

"You know the Cullens, right?" She asked bluntly. I tried not to smile at the mention of my topic of interest.

"Yeah, why?" I asked, wanting her to tell me how she felt about them instead of offering the goods up front. Let's face it, I was the gold mine for dirt about the Cullens and Bella was a meek miner pining for the prize. She'd have to work for this precious information.

"Well, they're a little strange, don't you think? I mean, they don't really talk to anyone" She asked, not giving it all up right away either. Touché. A new confidence grew within me, my stance a bit proud and my voice more solid at the chance to speak about something I knew very well. I wasn't going to spill the beans and tell her what I've observed, but the idea of discussing the Cullens with someone who's interested was invigorating and made me feel as though I were in a position of power.

"Yeah, that's just the Cullens. They prefer to keep to themselves. You get used to it after a while." I replied, shrugging my shoulders, not wanting to seem too eager about the subject matter. Bella nodded, lips parted in an 'O' as she looked out into the street.

"Right." She whispered, clearly disappointed that I wasn't telling her anything she didn't already know. A part of me wished that I could, because I actually began enjoying this small talk thing, but I knew that it would be impossible, that I couldn't just expose myself like that on the spot.

"I should go, I have to do the dishes." She said, rolling her eyes and then smiling. "I'll see you around, sorry about the ball!" She said as she walked away, turning to smile and wave before walking into her house.

I felt the tug of a real, genuine smile across my face and pressed my fingertips into my puffed up cheeks, gliding along my skin and feeling the folds of my laugh lines. I was actually smiling without force. Maybe Bella _was_ special. She was actually kind of nice and I felt pretty rotten for thinking poorly of her when I first met her, for chalking her entire character up to plainness. Yes, she looked plain but she was also quite kind, which was refreshing from the prissy attitudes of girls our age that I was used to.

So, the interaction didn't get me any further with my observing, but someone from school actually took the time to notice me, to make the effort to speak to me, a quality I very much admired. It was strange, but a good kind of strange. I could never allow this to bud into a friendship, recognizing that emotions would be involved then, and my observations would risk being biased. But, a casual acquaintance couldn't hurt. I continued to sit on my porch, going over the possibilities of being one step closer to my subjects, granting me more in depth observation while still remaining synonymous. It was very promising. But, I also felt a different type of satisfaction from all of this. I'd no longer be invisible. A part of this terrified me, for I was so used to being anonymous and inconspicuous amongst my peers. For one of them to recognize me as more than just another face in the shuffle seemed almost detrimental. But another part of me, smaller than the previous that told me this was all wrong, that gained satisfaction from this breakthrough, made me feel glad that someone was aware of my existence and maybe even appreciated it.

The days to follow were filled with nothing but hours upon hours of disappointment and aggravation. Edward Cullen had not returned to school. Every day I would pull into school, see the silver car and be filled with the false hopes that he would be there. And every day I walked into lunch only to be pummelled with the obvious truth that he was not at school. But every day I built the hope back up, knowing wholeheartedly that his tall, slender body would be in its place among his four siblings, that he would be seated in the chair that had been empty for the past for days in the cafeteria. Every day I walked into biology with crushed hopes, staring at his empty spot as Bella revelled in his absence. My frustration turned bitter as I pinned the blame for Edward's disappearance on Bella. She was the one who upset him on Monday, so she had to be the reason he's been absent. I resented her. I'd take Edward's presence over Bella's kindness any day, and for that matter I couldn't care less if she decided to go back to living with her mother. In fact, I kind of wished she would so that Edward would return and I could continue my observation of the Cullens in peace, without new girls interrupting everything I've worked so hard towards for two years.

By the weekend the torture of Edward's absence had turned unbearable. I couldn't think about anything but that, questioning his exact reasoning for it, wondering if he'd ever come back. I sat in my room alone and often in the dark, going through my knowledge of the Cullens, the events leading up to Edward's absence, followed by the week of his absence until now.

Edward's absence was both odd and frustrating. Odd because the Cullens' attendance was practically impeccable, despite the odd sunny day where they take the day off for outdoor activities. While I didn't entirely buy the whole family camping thing, one thing that was consistent about their days off was that the entire family took the day off work and school, not one was left behind and not one was gone early. So, Edward's solitary and lengthy absence was a peculiar one.

It was frustrating because I still don't know what it was about Bella that caused such a reaction in him in Biology last week. I had built up that moment they would both meet again, when they would be forced to confront each other for the first time after the incident, only to be greatly disappointed that he was a no show five days in a row. Not only was it frustrating in congruence with Bella, but the Cullens just weren't that intriguing without the fifth wheel. The others were so consistent and predictable in their behaviour, but it was Edward who always looked like there was more behind his creaseless face. There seemed to be much more dimension to his character. He was captivating and there was so much I wanted to know, that I needed to figure out about him. Being separated from a subject for such a long period of time before fully evaluating them was excruciating. It's like removing a newly born child from its mother, leaving her with only the hope of having it returned. It was unbearable, like a gunshot wound to the gut every day that I glanced to the Cullen table to see only four seated there, the empty chair mocking me from afar.

My entire existence began to revolve around why Edward was gone, what he was doing and when he would return. I'll admit I was developing a bit of an unhealthy obsession for the situation and vowed to do anything in my power to unravel this mess. Nobody in town would know anything, everyone is in the dark just as much as I am, if not more. The only people who would know are the Cullens themselves. I did see the Cullen siblings every day, making them an easily accessible venue for information, but walking up to them and asking about Edward was simply not an option. I haven't said a word to them in two years, I can't start now, especially not with such a personal question. Plus, something about walking up to the forbidden area of the cafeteria and facing them was unnerving. I could barely handle a conversation with people I've known my entire life, Lord knows how I'd manage with four God-like creatures. No, it seemed too threatening. Esme was sweet and more easily approachable, but it wasn't like I could just bump into her anywhere, so that option was out.

My head lifted slowly, eyes widening and mouth stretching into a genuine smile as the solution stared me right in the face: Doctor Carlisle Cullen. He was both approachable and easily accessible without causing suspicion. The only thing I'd need now is a reason to go see him. I couldn't fake an illness, I'd be caught right away. No, it has to be something that is sudden, unexpected and that would require immediate attention.

I rose slowly from my position, walking down the stairs and into the kitchen with a sense of indifference. Good ol' Francis was wrapped up in a football game and I sighed quietly to myself, hoping my actions wouldn't upset him too much. Of course, he'd be just as oblivious as everyone else, but I hoped that what was to come wouldn't send him into a frenzy of paternal concern.

I opened the fridge, extracting a plump, firm, blood red apple. I placed it on a wooden cutting board on the counter and turned to the drawer full of utensils, removing a sharp, silver steak knife and placed it next to the apple. It was what I always used to cut apples. I liked the ease of the blade through the solid fruit. I stared at my tools for a moment, my right hand hovering over the black handle of the knife, my left cupping the apple. My breathing quickened, my mouth closing as my jaw clenched and my eyes blinked at shorter intervals as I lifted the knife and began slicing the apple. I gulped, fear pulsating through me. I shook it off, my bottom lip folding into my mouth as I concentrated on the task at hand, practicing mind over matter. I could do this, it was simple, like ripping off a band-aid. I looked away as the blade entered the flesh of the apple, jerking my wrist to make the blade move through the fruit quicker. The blade got caught mid-slice, but the force of my hand continued, causing the blade to ricochet out of the apple and into the cutting board, causing it to stick into the wood which in turn caused a sound to stem from the impact. I opened my eyes, my breathing heavier, yet still quick as I examined my workspace. Francis' head snapped in my direction.

"Annie? You okay? What Happened?" He asked, concern written all over his face. His eyes were wide, his mouth open as he stared directly at me as he held his breath for a moment until I relaxed my stance.

"I'm fine, Dad." I replied, to which he exhaled. "I'm just cutting an apple, the knife slipped. It's fine."

"Do you want me to cut that for you?" He asked, prepared to get up from his seat.

"No, I'm fine dad, really. Don't worry." I said with a chuckle, hoping he'd understand the situation wasn't as serious as he thought it was. Yet.

"Okay, just be careful kiddo. I don't want you cutting your fingers off." He said, already facing the T.V. His body was tense though and his face was tilted slightly to the side in my direction.

I rolled my eyes, realizing my slip up added unnecessary time to my mission. Francis was aware that I was in the kitchen using something sharp, which means a quarter of his attention is now focused on me right now. If I waste a little time doing something else, he'll relax and I can just get this over with. I opened the fridge again, taking my time to pick out another apple. It was a small one this time, small enough to fit perfectly in the palm of my hand. This would work superbly. I shuffled to the sink to wash it, again taking my time with it. I turned to the cutting board with a new determination. I just had to do it quickly and not let myself expect it. Just like a band-aid. I'm just ripping off a band-aid. I continued to chant that in my mind as I picked up the knife, gulping as I cupped the apple, my fingers stretching around the entire circumference of the apple. I turned my palm up, resting it on the cutting board as I positioned the knife on an angle towards the right, my right elbow positioned inward at my side. I gulped, slowly moving the blade along the surface of the apple cutting slits into it and continuing to drag the blade past the apple and above the flesh underneath my thumb. One slit. My breathing began to relax and steady. Two. My shoulders relaxed. Three. My eyes opened, glancing at the target. Four. I looked up at Francis who was hunched over on the couch, fists balled in anticipation as the quarter back ran with the football, passing his opponents with ease. Fi-

"AHH!" I let the apple roll out of my hand and dropped the knife on the counter, my eyes staring at my palm as blood oozed out of the wound. It was deep. The flow of red was steady and thick. I tried not to smile victoriously as I held my palm out in front of me.

"Annie!" Francis' head jerked back and a look of horror spread across his face as he took in the sight of my bleeding hand. He hopped over the back of the couch and ran to me his left hand hovering underneath mine as his right hand pressed a dish towel into my palm. It stung and I could feel my blood pulsing through the gash. It was kind of nauseating. Blood began to pool on the white tile in the kitchen and I couldn't help but apologize. Francis shook his hand and ushered me out the door and into the car.

"Just keep the pressure on it, Dr. Cullen will take care of it in no time. Okay, Sweetie?" He said as he drove, taking his right hand off the wheel and sliding it down the back of my head. I nodded, pressing my right hand into the dish towel on my left. Blood had already seeped through the white cloth and began to stain my right hand. The smell of blood began to feel intolerable. My head bobbed forward as the nausea rushed back.

"Annie? Hey, hey! Annie! We're here, honey. Come on, it's going to be okay." Francis' words fumbled from his tongue quickly, his body twitching in confliction of wanting to console me and also wanting to open the door and get me inside the hospital. He was extremely frantic and I was responsible for it. This wasn't the smartest idea in the world and it was causing Francis to worry, which I hated, but I knew that this was absolutely necessary, that there was no other option.

I felt okay once I was on my feet and in the fresh air, the smell of the rain washing away the rusty musk of blood. Francis was walking slowly with his arms around me, ready to catch me if I fell. It was ridiculous, my legs were fine.

"I can walk dad, you don't have to hold me so tight." I huffed as he crushed me into his chest.

"Are you sure?" He asked, slowly releasing his hold on me.

"Yes." I sighed, relieved to be in control of my own pace. I took a seat in the waiting area, not taking notice of who the receptionist was until I heard her high pitched screech of a voice, practically screaming my name. Could I just die of blood loss now?

"Annie! Oh honey, what did you do to yourself? Oh!" She gasped, suffocating me in a hug. I pulled away roughly and scowled at her. I hated her and she knew it. She looked at me with a hard look on her face, her mouth open and rigid and her eyes narrow. I averted my gaze to my father who stood behind her with a long face as if I were dying of a terminal illness, which at this point I kind of wish I were for the way Grace's expression changed in reaction to my father's presence was sickening. Her expression shifted into one of deep concern as she wrapped her slimy tentacle of an arm around my father's and rubbed it, assuring him that she would get Dr. Cullen to look at it right away, that I was top priority. I huffed and turned away, crossing my legs away from her and shaking my head profusely in disbelief.

Grace was running, literally running down the hall with her hand around Dr. Cullen's arm as she urged him to hurry. Her fingers were spread out and her grip was tight on Dr. Cullen's arm and I knew then that she enjoyed her current position very much. Dr. Cullen sat down next to me and smiled, offering his palms to me. I place my hand in between his and watched as he lifted the cloth and examined the cut that still oozed blood. He inhaled abruptly, looked up at me questioningly and looked back down at the wound. His chest never relaxed from that inhalation, which was strange. Maybe he was just breathing very subtly? Or maybe he wasn't breathing at all...

"Alright, Annie follow me and we'll get you all fixed up, okay?" He said, smiling again. I smiled back, more of a victorious smile to myself rather than a friendly one towards Dr. Cullen. I knew this would work wonderfully, and here my plan was unfolding in front of me just as I pictured it, with the exception a certain parasite I've yet to figure out how to be rid of.

Once we were in a hospital room equipped with four beds and two other patients, Dr. Cullen scooted over to me on a rolling stool with a bunch of tools, string and bandages laid out on a table next to him. He began cleaning the wound and I figured this would be a good time to start with the small talk. I fought with myself internally, a fear rising within me at the thought of direct social interaction. The fact that he was a doctor and I was a patient relieved some of the pressure of a casual social setting, leaving a more formal and inviting situation, but it was still nerve-wracking. The fact that he was one of the subjects I took most pride in studying didn't help either. I felt so guilty being here, talking to him like this and knowing I was only using him. I decided to take the same approach that I had with the apple cutting, like ripping off a band-aid, you just have to go for it. I let out a little cough and lolled my head to the side to give off the impression that I was bored, which would then make Dr. Cullen feel as though he should say something.

"So, how did this happen?" He asked, taking great care to clean the wound. His voice was deep and melodic. Like a symphony created with me as its muse. I suppressed a sigh and gulped a hoard of saliva before replying.

"I was cutting an apple." I said, my voice quiet and shaky. My hands began to shake and Dr. Cullen pulled away for a moment to look me in the eye, making me feel even more uncomfortable.

"You need to stay still, Annie. It'll just take a moment." He said with a smile. I willed my hands to stop shaking, but that only seemed to make it worse. Blood began oozing out of the wound again and I turned away, not having the stomach to see it again. Dr. Cullen noticed the blood and applied pressure to the wound so that it would stop.

"I'm sorry, I just don't like blood. I think need a distraction." I said in a whisper. It sounded so much more confident in my head.

"Alright." He said quickly as he exhaled. "How's school?" He asked. I fought with the smile that begged to be released in reaction to the perfect topic of conversation that Dr. Cullen chose, making this much easier for me.

"School is school...sometimes I wish I could just take a week off for myself." I said, picking my words carefully and then watching Dr. Cullen's reaction. I stared in anticipation, waiting for a pause in his breath, for his parted lips to come together, for his eyes to move. Nothing. He was concentrating on threading the needle in one side and out the other. I flinched as it pierced my skin again and again, although not feeling anything. It was the sight of it that caused the reaction.

"Yes, it can be tedious but it is worth it, trust me." He said, eyeballing another swift prick of the needle through my skin. I noticed he was almost done and my time here was running out. I had to be abrupt about this. Just do it. Ask him. It's a simple question.

"Dr. Cullen, is Edward okay?" I said, my eyes squeezed shut as I spoke. I held my breath, awaiting his answer.

"Of course. Why do you ask?" He said, his voice in the same relaxed tone and pitch as it had been during my entire visit. He was good. Very good. But something here was fishy, and it certainly isn't the bed pans or the old guy sleeping on the other side of the curtain.

"Well, he hasn't been in school all week." I said, my head moving forward on impulse, awaiting his reaction. Come on, lick your lips, furrow your brow...do _something_!

"Ah, yes he's been sick. Just a flu, nothing to worry about." He said, lifting his gaze to meet my eyes as he nodded once with a slight smile, as if to confirm his alibi.

"Right." I sighed, defeated. "Well, I hope he gets better." I said monotonously as Dr. Cullen placed a bandage over the now stitched up gash in my palm. I took my hand back and closed my fingers in on impulse, gasping at the sting that came from it and the tugging sensation from the stitches.

"Careful. It will be tender for a while, so try not to be too sudden with hand gestures." He said as he stood up and swiftly gliding away, leaving a ghost of his scent in front of me. I closed my eyes and inhaled deeply, taking in the familiar scent.

"And be careful with knives." He said at the door, winking before turning the corner.

**A/N: Obviously Annie's willing to go to great lengths to get whatever information she can about the Cullens. It's kind of over the top, but that's just how Annie rolls, she's either going to go for it all the way or not bother at all, plus she's kind of crazy obsessed**** with the Cullens, if you haven't noticed. So hopefully that didn't freak you out too much with the whole apple thing. Edward's absence sucked majorly, I had the hardest time writing without him there. He will be back in the next chapter though, I'm pretty pumped about it. Have a good one!**

**Reviews are better than Christmas morning and the first day of summer combined, so getting one from you would be awesome! ;)**


	4. Chapter 3 Part 2

**A/N: Edward is back! :) This is the continuation of chapter 3, covering Edward's return and also a bit of Annie stuff. It gets a bit more personal and a little emotionally heavy for her at the end, so I figured I'd cut it off there and make the car accident and hospital a seperate chapter. Plus, this is already long enough haha. There is a bit of profanity, it's only one word but I juts thought I'd warn you just in case. There's also a smidge of Midnight Sun in here, I figured since I read the first couple chapters I might as well go ahead and use it. There is no journal entry this time, because it is a continuation and there may or may not be one next time I'm not sure yet how it'll play out. Anywho, I hope you guys like it. There's a lot more dialogue this time around too, Annie's gaining a bit more experience and confidence in interacting with others, but who knows if it'll help her or ruin her.. hmm.. Oh and, if you checked my profile at all you would've seen the sneak peak in the form of a song 'Waiting for You' by Ben Harper, that really fits with the beginning of this chapter. I thought it was a fun way to give a sneak peak. Alright, well I hope you guys enjoy it! Please Review! :) **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight, but Stephen****ie Meyer sure does!**

**Chapter Three - Continued **

The weekend passed slowly, taunting me with every lingering minute. I was in confliction with myself, part of me wishing for nothing more than to speed through the next two days and into Monday afternoon and the other part simply not caring anymore. I had nothing that would guarantee Edward's attendance in school on Monday and therefore nothing to observe, nothing I really wanted to anyway. I should have known the moment something slipped up with the Cullens that they would run and hide, remove themselves long enough for everyone to forget about it or maybe even remove themselves for good. It's a great possibility that Edward is never coming back. I hated to consider it, but it's been seven days already, the chances of him being a no show again didn't faze me. I slowly and reluctantly began giving up on him. It was simply causing me too much stress that wasn't as worth it as I once thought. Staring down at the bandage on my hand proved to me that this was simply the last straw. I had gone too far, only to come up with nothing after all of my efforts.

Going to see Dr. Cullen was foolish and pointless. It also backfired, because now Grace was over every chance she could get to 'check on me'. She'd come flinging herself through to door and into my room uninvited, reaching her arms around me and suffocating me in an embrace. She'd then pull herself away, tilt her head to the side and pout, keeping the pose so long it started looking a bit creepy. She acted as if I were on my death bed or something. Leave it to her to take something miniscule and blow it way out of proportion. Then of course Francis would get all thankful and invite her to dinner and praise her for caring, to which she would swat at the air with her hand and bat her eyelashes, saying it was nothing, that she thought of me as her own. Vomit burned my oesophagus as I swallowed it back down when I first heard her say that. She barely knew me and she had the nerve to call me her own. She is such a snake.

Monday eventually rolled around, but I didn't wake up as early as I had for the past week. I carelessly rose up from the warm sheets, accidentally leaning on my wounded palm causing an excruciating twinge of pain to shoot through my hand and up my wrist. I stared at the bandage angrily, knowing it was the stupidest thing I had ever done and now I had to live with the scar that would remind me of my stupidity for the rest of my life. I could just picture myself at age 76, all wrinkled and fragile, with a stiff, white line on palm that stood out from the soft, flowing ridges of aged skin. Stupid.

I got dressed and went downstairs to grab a piece of toast before rushing to school, knowing if I didn't hurry I'd be late for class. I hated the awkwardness of walking in after Mr. Mason has begun his lecture, the room falling silent as all eyes are on me, following me to my seat, then to be subjected to the angered and annoyed expression on Mr. Mason's face that is directed just at me before continuing with the lesson.

I slathered some margarine on a piece of whole wheat bread, folding it in half as I turned to leave when I noticed two bodies pressed into each other under an emerald green, velvet blanket on the couch. I peered over the edge of the couch only to be plagued with the sight of Grace's face nestling into my father's chest.

I squeezed the strap of my backpack that was so heavily weighed down with books, wanting nothing more than to swing it over the couch, right into her gut. I turned away, knowing no good could come of it and, even though I would get great satisfaction from seeing Grace in pain, the anger that would emit from Francis afterwards wasn't worth it.

Bella's truck wasn't parked in the front of her house as it usually was in the morning, assuming she'd already gone to school. I shrugged, not really caring that I missed whatever she did this morning, or her arrival at school. People were used to her now, she was just another student to most, a friend to many. There would be nothing of value to observe of her now, not unless Edward Cullen were involved which was unlikely. I was expecting a boring, useless waste of my time in school today.

When I stepped outside I was greeted with a bitter chill in the air and had to step back inside to grab a heavier coat. I walked the two steps towards the coat rack, my eyes accidentally glazing over the couch as I took in the sights of Grace propping herself up on my father's chest and kissing him. I plucked the coat from the rack, turned and slammed the front door as hard as I could, just to make my presence known. Unfortunately, the pneumatic closer attached to our screen door slowed the impact, causing the door to close with a muffled click. I trudged over to my car, slipping my arms through the sleeves of my coat, hoping it wouldn't snow today.

Bella was already seated with Mike by her side in English when I walked in just before the bell. I took my seat at the back of my class, my eyes focused on specks of dirt on the tiled floor. Mr. Mason then announced we'd be having a pop quiz on _Wuthering Heights_, the book I haven't been reading. Perfect. Just freaking spectacular. This day is off to such a lovely start. After I failed horribly, Mr. Mason began a lecture on the character analysis of Heathcliff. I rested my head on folded arms, drifting off as I waited for the bell to ring.

And, as if the Gods had heard my plea this morning to keep the snow from falling, white clumps were floating in the air to greet me as I walked from one building to the next. My gaze shot upward stiffly at the clouds, cursing them and hoping that whatever God was up there was having a good laugh at my misfortune. I didn't even bother looking in the parking lot for that damn silver car. I ended up walking behind Bella and Mike, as if I planned this myself, and listened as they reacted to the snow. Mike was enjoying it, as was everyone else. Bella, on the other hand, reacted much as I had, disliking the cold, white clusters that began to collect on the sidewalk.

A ball of the wretched substance whipped past my face, smashing into the back of Newton's head. I would have found it amusing, if it hadn't been for the wet residue that now filtered into the shoulder of my jacket. I turned to see Eric walking away slyly. How mature of him. Fool.

I shook my head and my hair along with it, making the mistake of wearing it down two days in a row. I should have learned my lesson yesterday when the frizz appeared in reaction to the rain. Flecks of ice and water droplets flung from my locks and onto my face and coat. I sighed, wanting to just hide out in my car for the rest of the day, or maybe the rest of the week depending on how long Grace sticks around my house. My next two classes reached an all time low of boredom as I sat in my seat, disconnected from everything going on around me. I gazed lazily out the window, following the flakes as they danced in the cold air, slowly plummeting to the ground. It sure was pretty to look at, but a pain in the ass to walk in.

I wasn't sure whether to be relieved or apathetic when Spanish ended. It got me one step closer to the end of the day, but that brought me one step closer to going home which would then bring me a step closer to Grace. I'd usually be excited to get to lunch, but considering how crappy it's been this past week I didn't even think about it. I slipped my arms back into my coat for the fifth time today, fussing with the pesky buttons. I hate winter and its stupid requirement for layers and complicated button-up coats.

I walked to the cafeteria with clenched, chattering teeth, wanting nothing more than to wallow in my bitterness. It was here that I found myself presented with a dilemma. Do I sit in the middle again like I have been, or do I just admit to myself that Edward wasn't coming and just return to my corner? My eyes flickered to the corner I claimed as mine for two years, only to see puny freshman reading a book in my spot. I blinked once in a fury, my nostrils flared as I bit the insides of my cheeks, pulling out the chair to the spot in the middle I'd occupied all of last week and sat down with a plop. I looked down, noticing the floors began growing disgusting brown and black puddles of all shapes and sizes beneath my feet.

I looked up to slide _Wuthering Heights_ in front of me, figuring I better start reading it, when a miracle happened before my eyes, wiping my horrible day out of existence. It was Edward. My head slowly inched forward, my eyes bulging out of their sockets as I took in the sight of him. I blinked feverishly, testing myself to see if this was a cruel trick of my overly active imagination. My mouth gaped open in a smile to see him, to know that I had a purpose here today. It was like electricity was shooting through my veins as he walked past me, his scent mingling with that of his family's as the air split to let them pass, flowing in my direction. I could pick Edward's scent out from the rest, something about it just called to me, making it absolutely unforgettable. I inhaled deeply; hello, old friend.

I watched as he walked towards his usual table with his family huddled around him. It was kind of strange the way they all formed sort of a shield around him. Emmett led the group, his chest puffed up as he took full advantage of his size and appeared just as a bodyguard would. Rosalie followed, looking irritated as she shot daggers at anyone unfortunate enough to get caught under her gaze. Jasper and Alice followed, Alice looking a bit wary as Jasper led her to their table. It was odd, seeing a flip in their behaviour. Jasper is usually the one who appeared to be cautious and in pain, while Alice was calm. They balanced each other, except I've never seen their emotions flop in such a way before, it's always been Jasper who needed the balancing and Alice who was there to provide it. And then there was Edward, who appeared to be annoyed by the behaviour of his siblings, their stance around him making him look fragile. My inner voice let out a laugh at the consideration of Edward, the epitome of muscular perfection, as being fragile. It made me wonder again if he really was real. Maybe he really did have an illness, a really bad one. Why else would his family be so cautious?

I tried not to stare, for fear that Edward would catch me and become aware of my interest in him and his family. I restricted myself to quick glances every so often. Okay, so maybe I was looking up from my book every 3 seconds to look at them, pushing my luck by hovering my gaze over them longer than I should. I just couldn't get over this breakthrough in all of them. The exchange of Alice and Jasper's usual behaviour, Rosalie's evident irritation and Emmett's protective stance as he led the pack were casual shifts in behaviour I'd been waiting to see in them for two years. It was very difficult for me to look away, not wanting to miss a second of it and hoping that I wasn't just seeing things, to ensure that every bit of this was reality.

The commotion of people coming through the entrance of the cafeteria caught my attention and I decided to take a look in that general direction, hoping my nerves would calm down if I looked away from Edward long enough.

I caught a glimpse of Bella walking into the cafeteria with Jessica, Bella using a binder as a shield against the numerous flying balls of snow outside. Mike then appeared behind them, laughing with puffed up, bright pink cheeks. I felt strange watching them like this, everyone around them becoming a blur as my eyes focused on them. It felt like I was watching a cheesy TV show about high school life or something. I wanted to look away, annoyance growing from watching Bella and her new friends mingle. My gaze followed them, however, since looking at the Cullen table again suddenly seemed forbidden. But, it's the forbidden fruit that tastes the sweetest, right? I sighed, rewarding myself with another look at them, convincing myself that I've earned it after Edward's week long absence.

My eyes narrowed in on Edward, my mind registering the slight differences in his behaviour now. He didn't study the cracks and grooves of the walls today out of pure boredom, his expression lacking the usual sense of indifference or dissatisfaction. Instead he was very alert and tense in his seat, his eyes darting around the room. His chest looked unusually stiff, like he wasn't breathing.

Why did the Cullens never exhibit the physical signs of breathing? To question their breathing at all is ludicrous, for every being needs to breathe in order to live. It was just so weird that they could make their chests so still like that. I sat there, still staring, as I tried this manoeuvre of theirs out for myself, uncomfortably willing my chest to stop rising and falling in reaction to my breaths. The action was uncomfortable and unfortunately impossible. Maybe it was just a well practiced skill of theirs, although I couldn't see how it would be useful to hone such an ability.

I continued to watch him, fascinated by his newly expressed lively state. His eyes darted, about to reach Bella's general direction. I tensed in anticipation for when he'd see her again, only to be stung with shock when his gaze fell on me. I averted my gaze to the table top in front of me, my breathing quickening, my heart rate sky rocketing as I stared at the grains in the table top, praying for him to look away. I was too afraid to look up from the table top to check, so I just sat there and waited, feeling extremely uncomfortable about having his gaze on me. I realized I'd have to look up some time, I couldn't stay like this for the next half hour. I licked my lips, taking in a deep breath before slowly taking a peak at Edward, my chest collapsing in a large sigh of relief when I noticed his attentions were now focused elsewhere.

Alice then muttered something quickly and they all switched positions. Alice, Jasper, Rosalie and Emmett did their usual shifting into each other. It was Edward's change in position after Alice said something that seemed interesting. He was relaxed and lively before, and now he was stiff and tensed in his seat. I turned to look at Bella, who was at the lunch line now, and then back at Edward. He stared at the tray of food in front of him intently and quizzically, as if he were figuring out the cure for cancer in that marvellous mind of his. He seemed a little anxious and frustrated. The others talked and laughed around him and he looked up at them, joining in on the conversation. Emmett then lifted his hand and revealed an intact snow ball. It just sat there in the palm of his hand in all its icy perfection. My jaw dropped at the site of it and my brows furrowed as I questioned how this was possible. I squinted, trying to find some sign of melting, but there was nothing. They've been here for ten minutes, that ball should be a puddle of water on the floor of the heated cafeteria by now. Did he stick his hand in a freezer or something? To take a snowball and expect it to still be in your hand ten minutes later is like leaving a child and a piece of chocolate cake alone in a room, expecting the cake to be there when you get back. This was scientifically incapable.

Before I could scrutinize the object any further, it disappeared. Literally, it was gone. The only thing I could see faintly was the extension of Emmett's arm, as if to throw it and then the flick of Alice's finger, as if she were shooing away a pesky fruit fly that flew too close to her face. As soon as I saw the flick, the crushing sound of ice against a hard surface echoed to my right and my head instinctively swivelled in the sound's direction, only to be met with a wall opposite to Alice with shattered ice and a puddle of water beneath it. My head turned back to little Alice and for a moment I considered piecing the actions together, that Emmett threw the impossibly existing snowball at Alice, and that she had flicked it away with her tiny finger, sending it across the room and that all of this happened at speeds impossible for human eyes to detect.

And then I let out a chuckle, out loud, because it was the most outrageous and silly theory I've ever concocted. The ball must have melted or maybe Emmett dropped it and there must have been a fruit fly, the cafeteria is infested with them. Yes, that's exactly what happened.

I looked up at the Cullens once more and stared at them with a hint of envy as they laughed with each other, looking like models in a fashion ad or something. Even when they acted normal it was perfect and beautiful.

"Bella, what are you staring at?" I overheard Jessica's annoying voice, its volume louder than it should be. I snapped in her direction only to see Bella put her head down and hide behind her hair. My eyes flashed in Edward's direction and he was staring at her. I looked back at Bella as she spoke to Jessica, still hiding from Edward's gaze. All of this looking back and forth was giving me whip lash. Couldn't they just sit at adjacent tables for once? And the hiding thing has made a reappearance. Geez, I can never win with these two. When Bella's around, Edward's behaviour is like I've never seen it before, but she hides so I can't observe her. When Edward's gone Bella doesn't hide, she's relaxed, but without Edward there's not much to hold my interest anymore with her, or with observing period, really. Why can't we just have a nice little compromise folks?

I sighed, realizing that sometimes you have to take the good with a little of the bad, and if having Edward back meant Bella was back to her hiding ways then that's just the way it had to be and I would accept it.

As I watched Bella hide and Jessica prod her for information, I felt the desire to know what they were saying. There was nothing more aggravating than watching lips flap away and not hear what was coming out of them. I spotted a garbage can behind them, grabbed a granola bar from my bag and quickly walked behind them, slowly unwrapping the granola bar as I listened.

"I don't think he likes me." Bella said, her head still down, but tilted up towards Jessica.

"The Cullens don't like anybody...well, they don't notice anybody enough to like them. But he's still staring at you." Jessica replied. I scooted around to the other side of the garbage can to look at Edward, while still being able to see and hear Bella. He was looking at her so intently, as if he were trying to figure her out from a distance, but failed. It was odd. Why was he so fascinated with her?

I was still looking at Edward when Bella called my name. She scooted back in her chair and met me at the garbage can. The moment she moved and walked over to me, Edward's eyes were on me. I wanted to look away but I couldn't. They were golden today.

"Annie? Earth to Annie?" Bella waved her hand in my face and I came out of the trance Edward had somehow put me in. I looked at Bella and smiled, then looked past her again at the crooked smile he had painted on his face, his eyes on his tray of food. My mind was blank. What's that word? Two letters...

"H-hi." I finally huffed out.

"Not hungry?" She asked, pointing down at my half unwrapped granola bar.

"Oh, uh, yeah I was just throwing out the wrapper first." I said, pealing the rest of the wrapper off with the tips of my fingers.

"Oh." She said with a chuckle.

I smiled, unsure where to take this. But suddenly I felt confident that I could carry a conversation, that I could talk to her about Edward and not get myself completely involved. I could be an insignificant bystander. People can ask other people questions without establishing a friendship, right? I cleared my throat, read to do this.

"So, uh, E –"

"Bella, what are you still doing there? Mike's giving the details about the snowball fight." Jessica interrupted, her voice worse than nails on a chalk board.

"Yeah, it's gonna be epic!" Mike beamed.

"I should get back. See you later, Annie." Bella smiled, looking back before taking her seat again. She seemed kind of remorseful when she walked back to her table to take her seat. Did she not like her new posse? This girl is so strange.

I threw the entire granola bar away anyway and returned to my seat, uninterested in the inner workings of this amazing snow ball fight. The rest of the lunch hour passed quickly, the bell ringing in what seemed like minutes after I talked to Bella. She and her groupies got up and shuffled out of the cafeteria with the rest of the student body. Everyone except the Cullens and I were walking towards the door. They didn't show any signs of getting up and for a moment I thought about staying, just to see what they did when there wasn't a crowd around. As the number of bodies in the cafeteria dwindled, I suddenly changed my mind, gathering my things and practically running to the exit. The idea of being alone in a room with five Cullens was suddenly frightening and if I didn't get out of there quick I might have hyperventilated.

I walked into biology with a new outlook on my day. It was like for once, my silent wishes to the universe were being granted. Well, only two of them were but they were enough to turn my entire mood around. For one, Edward was here today. That alone makes this one of the greatest days of my life, because he'd be sitting next to Bella in biology again and bits of his true persona would shine through for me. Secondly, the snow had turned into rain, washing the nasty white stuff away and returning Forks to its usual wetness. It was a bit cooler still, but that I could deal with.

I took my seat next to Tim, my lab partner who most likely hated having me as a partner. I tend to get distracted. It's not my fault Edward's hair is so darn luscious and beautiful. Tim sighed and rolled his eyes, turning to mutter something to the person next to him at the next lab table as I sat down. Okay, so he did hate me. You win some and you lose some, I guess. Or in my case, you lose a lot and take what you can get. I shrugged, averting my attention to more important business, like the way Bella's face flushed with relief when she saw her table was still empty. If it were yesterday, my heart would have sunk into my stomach and I would have lost all hope, but not today. Edward would be here, I didn't doubt that for a second. Class hadn't even started yet, he has minutes to get here, which is plenty of time. Yes, he'll be taking his usual seat today and stealing all of my attention along with it. Sorry, Tim.

The screech of microscopes against lab table tops was unnerving as Mr. Banner slid one across each table, along with a box of slides. Great, an assignment that requires my attention. Well, I'm sure Tim could pick up the slack a bit. He should be used to it by now. If only they made Edward Cullen and Bella Swan slides, then I'd very gladly slip them under a microscope and analyze them. Or if microscopes were large and discrete enough to use on people from a distance, now that would be something.

The sound of a chair sliding across the floor plucked me from my thoughts and back to more important things. I looked up through my lashes to see Edward's back to me, thankful that Beth wasn't here today so that I wouldn't have to dart around her body to see him. He was in perfect view today; another wish come true. His hair was wet and messy. I never thought I'd find myself using the word sexy, but this was so it. This was ridiculous, I had to get a hold of myself. It's not like I've never seen him with wet hair before. Maybe it was his absence that's making me feel this way. Yes, that's why, I just need to get used to him all over again.

Bella didn't even acknowledge Edward's presence, she just kept doodling as he watched her. I couldn't even believe this, he was going to talk to her and she just sat there trying to hide. I would pay top dollar to switch seats with her right now.

"Hello." Edward said, causing Bella to look up. "My name is Edward Cullen. I didn't have a chance to introduce myself last week. You must be Bella Swan." I smiled at the sound of his voice, basking in Edward's usual polite demeanour, but stopped myself mid-smile as a few things became aware to me. First of all, what did he mean he didn't get a chance to introduce himself? He was sitting next to her for an hour, he had a lot of chances and he blew off each and every one of them. And second, he called her Bella! I guess it's not that big of a deal, even I called her Bella when we hadn't been formally introduced, but they've never spoken before and then he left for a week, how could he know to call her that? I furrowed my brows and turned my head to the side, leaning forward to hear Bella's reply.

"Annie!" Tim whispered harshly, his hand gripped on my shoulder as he shook me. I leaned away from him and gave him a questioning glare. No one besides my father has ever laid a hand on me, and to do it in such a manner was uncalled for. He could just be polite about it, like Edward would have if he were my lab partner. I mean, I understand his anger I guess, but geez no need to get hostile.

"What?" I asked, annoyance clear in my voice. I wasn't about to try and hide it, he had to know that he was interrupting something crucially important. He leaned into me with clenched teeth, inhaling once with frustration. I looked at him, waiting for whatever it was he had to say while still trying to catch the conversation between Bella and Edward. It's the first conversation they ever had and I was missing it because of this imbecile.

"Can you stop obsessing over Cullen and just focus for two minutes? This is a partner assignment, not a 'one person does all the work while the other stares off into space' assignment!" He leaned back in his chair and slid the microscope over. "Here, I did the first two, you do the next two. Okay?"

"Fine." I mouthed with a huff.

I was so angry with Tim, I wasn't even paying attention to the slides I was looking at. Prophase, anaphase, whatever-phase, did any of this really matter? And what's with the names? It would be so much simpler if it were called phase one through four. I peaked over at Tim's sheet and noticed he had prophase and telophase marked down, so the slide I was looking at was either anaphase or metaphase. I had a fifty percent chance of being right, so with that being said I simply wrote down metaphase on the third line.

"Do you mind if I look?" I overheard Edward ask Bella. He was so helpful. If only Tim here would mind taking a look for me. My pencil hovered about the line I'd just written on as I thought of what Edward said and how I could twist it to help me. I coughed slightly, which made Tim look up at me.

"Done?" He asked

"Uh, no I was just..." I glanced over at Jessica, who flipped her hair and leaned into her partner, chest first. I hadn't seen her look into that lens once. I bit my bottom lip, realizing there was much more to learn here than just biology. I flipped my hair to one side, licked my bottom lip and sighed. I could do this. It's just Tim. I felt kind of silly, comparing myself to Jessica like this, thinking I could actually flirt with a member of the opposite sex. I wasn't awful looking, I could pull it off. I think. I gulped, trying to pull it together.

"Well?" Tim asked, still waiting for me to say something.

"Oh, um, it's silly but... mitosis kind of confuses me." I said, my voice kind of quiet but I don't know, I thought it gave it that breathy, sultry edge. I smiled a bit, thinking this would be it and I'd have him wrapped around my little finger.

He breathed in deeply, the left corner of his lip tugging into a crooked smile as he huffed out a chuckle. Yep, he's all mine. This flirting thing is kind of useful, no wonder Jessica does it so much. It granted her a not so great reputation but, if used wisely, it could be quite the tool to get what you want.

"C'mon Annie, we both know your grade is at the top of the class." He scoffed and shook his head, returning to whatever he was writing in his notebook.

At that point I just wanted to crawl into a black hole. My face fell and heat flushed through it at the immense embarrassment I felt. A twinge of pressure formed in my forehead and I could feel a pounding headache coming on. I shrunk away from Tim, pulling the microscope with me. I was just reminded why I never spoke to anyone and that I should never do it again. Any confidence I felt in the communication department dissipated completely as he shook his head at my attempt to flirt with him. I swallowed to moisten my dry throat and pressed my tongue into the roof of my mouth to hold back my tears. I felt so small.

I finished the assignment on my own, sliding the worksheet over to Tim when I was done, my eyes never leaving the table top. Bella and Edward had finished long before I did and now they were talking about the weather. I was barely listening, I didn't really care to. I just wanted to leave, to be surrounded by my lilac walls and never leave them ever again. People were cruel and insensitive and I wanted nothing to do with them.

I overheard Edward ask why Bella moved to Forks and decided to listen in since I had nothing better to do. I figured if I put my all of my energy into them I would forget the incident with Tim. I grunted, knowing I could never think of mitosis without conjuring up this mess again. I pushed it aside and listened as Bella told Edward about her mother's new husband and that he was a baseball player, things I'd already known. It was the reason why she moved herself to Forks that made me feel a glimmer of hope for mankind.

"She stayed with me at first, but she missed him. It made her unhappy... so I decided it was time to spend some quality time with Charlie." She said, revealing everything. It made me think back to the days before she arrived, about the gossip that spread about Bella's reasons for moving here. I knew now that every single shred of gossip about Bella was false. She really was special, wasn't she? She was unselfish and considerate of her mother's feelings enough to pick up her life and bring it to some boring, rainy town in Washington. She was so willing to dismiss her own happiness for her mother's. She said it herself in response to Edward, life isn't fair. She had no idea how right she was. It amazed me how different Bella was from the generic person. Usually people think of their own needs before anyone else's, but her mind worked in the opposite way. It was both fascinating and admirable.

It made it easier to understand why Edward was actually holding a conversation with her, why he'd even want to. He detected the originality and uniqueness in her. It also became clear to me why everyone in this town was so fascinated with her to begin with. Bella Swan was special, different in an attractive way, and people were inevitably drawn to her. Who knew one measly little fact could reveal so much about a person?

I missed the rest of their conversation as I registered that one fact about Bella. That stupid, whatever it was with Tim messed me up completely in the observing department. I needed to step my game up, be more attentive. I've been thinking about myself and my own life a lot lately, more than I care to. I'm losing touch with observing others because there's so much going on with Grace and my dad and Bella's constant interactions with me and now Tim. I need to regroup and remove the focus off of myself, it's driving me insane. I took in a deep breath and knew that I had to whack the bad grass out so I can get back to tending to the flowers in my virtual garden, my observatory subjects.

The bell rang and everyone filed out. I sat in my seat for a moment and just watched as Mike sprinted to Bella's side to walk her to gym class. Ugh, gym. If I waited here long enough, pack up slowly enough so there wouldn't be any questions, gym would start without me and I'd be in the clear to run to my car and get out of this place. Yep, sounds like a plan. I moved very slowly, like a sloth moseying up a tree branch, as I lifted the cover of my binder with the tips of my finger and laid it down gently. Then I lifted my pencil, slowly opened the zipper to my pencil case and slid it in. Mr. Banner was going around collecting microscopes and, since I was done packing up, I thought I'd give the guy a hand. I hopped out of my seat and started gathering boxes of slides without saying a word.

"Thanks, Annie." He said, smiling with a nod as he continued gathering microscopes. I smiled back a bit wider than was necessary, happy that I was wasting another ten minutes. This was working out pretty greatly. When everything was cleaned up and back in its place I waved to Mr. Banner and made my way to the door. I noticed Edward and Emmett walking briskly down the hall in long strides. Edward had his hand over his mouth and he looked a little sick. I scurried after them, hiding behind a door as I listened. They were at the other end of the line of lockers, unfortunately, but this would just have to do for now.

"Is it as bad as that?" Emmett asked. The rambunctiousness of the uncontrolled class next to me was such a nuisance, practically drowning out the conversation I was trying to listen to. I wondered what these two could possibly be talking about.

"Worse Emmett, Worse." Edward replied. I wished I could look at them, to know what their faces looked like. It was silent for a bit too long now and I could feel my heart pounding in my chest at the idea of being caught. Emmett should be saying something now, right, I mean that's how a conversation works. The class behind me could be drowning it out though, stupid kids.

"No, it would not be better to get it over with. Go back to class, Emmett, I –"

"Hey!" A man's voice shouted so loud I jumped, clutching my heart with my right hand. "Quiet down! This is an English class, not a playground!" Mr. Barker yelled at his class. I pressed my back into the wall with a sigh of relief. Jesus, that almost gave me coronary.

Emmett walked past me and making me freeze in my current stance, as if being still would keep him from seeing me. I slowly peaked around the door, only to be met with an empty hallway. I groaned and hurried out to the parking lot and to my car. I noticed Edward opening the driver's side door to the Volvo and sit inside. He didn't start the car though, and I wondered if he would actually sit there for an hour to wait for his family. I guess he didn't really have a choice, considering they all rode to school together in the same car, but that seemed like such a bummer to be stuck here. There was this sense of urgency to Edward's tone when he was talking to Emmett and the way he was walking made it seem like he really wanted to get out of here, like he needed to. Maybe he was talking about Bella? Maybe he wanted to get asking her out over with or something. What else could he possibly mean?

I dismissed it, since I didn't exactly have much to go on, and sped out of the parking lot. I wanted to look into the Volvo as I drove by, but then I figured he'd be looking at the only car driving out of the parking lot and I wasn't sure how I'd handle it if we both locked eyes. I'd probably run into a telephone pole. I kept my eyes straight ahead and tried to focus on driving. It was only Edward, I need to pull myself together for tomorrow. I can't afford another day like today's. Everything would have been so incredibly perfect if it weren't for all of the distractions.

I pulled into my driveway with a sense of release. I couldn't wait to get inside, give Francis a hug and then hide out in my room for the rest of the night. I walked inside and threw my coat onto the rack with a smile on my face, an actual smile. I peaked around the corner into the living room where I thought Francis would be watching ESPN, but he wasn't there. The living room and kitchen were spotless. I leaned into the sink that was free of dirty dishes and was taken by surprise when I saw my own reflection in the bottom of the steal sink, sparkling. I rarely see the bottom of the sink, let alone see it sparkle. What on Earth happened here?

I creeped up the steps slowly, the scent of paint hitting me so strongly my nose wrinkled. I could hear Dolly Parton faintly, an artist Francis wouldn't be caught dead listening to. I coughed a bit and continued upstairs, wondering if maybe I stepped into the wrong house.

"Dad?" I hollered, expecting an unfamiliar voice to respond.

"Yeah, honey. We're in here!" Francis replied with a grunt, as if he were pushing something. Wait a minute, 'we'? The paint smell got stronger and my head started to hurt. I could see white sheets trailing out of my doorway and crept closer, wondering what the hell was going on.

I fumbled backward into the wall across from my doorway, my mouth gaping open in the horror that had taken over my room. My furniture was gone, all of it. Most importantly, my laptop was gone. The white sheet that peaked out into the hallway covered the floor of my room. But that wasn't all of it. Grace was there, in my bedroom, with Francis. There was a black radio in there, where the Dolly Parton was coming from and I just watched, appalled as she wriggled her hips to the music. But that wasn't even the worst of it. My walls, my beautiful and cherished lilac walls were gone, replaced by a repulsive pale yellow. The fact that my walls were now the color of pee wasn't even what angered me the most. It was the fact that they did this without my permission, that they just painted over a piece of my mother. I painted those walls with her, her hands brought that color to my room. It was a reminder that she was here once, that she existed and they just painted over it without a second thought.

"Wha – what did you...?" I couldn't even get the question out, I was angry and hurt and vengeful all at the same time.

"We wanted to surprise you, pumpkin."

"Don't you like it?" Grace asked. God, if I could just push her out the window...

My jaw clenched tight and my nostrils flared as I glared at Grace. Slowly, piece by piece she was trying to replace my mother. She could do whatever she wanted with Francis, but this was my territory and that bitch would not get away with this unscathed.

"You." I growled. "Get the hell out of my house." I said angrily, pointing towards the stairs. "GET OUT!"

I screamed, so hard that my throat burned. She dropped the roller in her hand and hurried out of my room and down the stairs to the coat rack. I turned my gaze to my father, shaking my head as the tears I was holding escaped my grasp. He simply huffed and then ran past me to go after Grace. My father chose his lover over me. Now I've seen it all. I didn't even bother stopping him or yelling profanities at Grace. It didn't even matter now. What's done is done.

I couldn't even step across the threshold and into my room. It was like a million hands were pushing me back, keeping me from inching any closer. I bent over, clutching my stomach as I sobbed. It was like it I had lost her all over again, like Grace was a cancer, spreading her poison slowly and inconspicuously until it's too late to do anything about it. I had nothing now. I had nowhere to go. The house that seemed so comfortable for two now felt crowded and small. I felt disoriented, walking to the stairs and back to my room numerous times, unsure of where to go. I fumbled down the stairs as quickly as I could, grabbed my coat and went to my car. Francis was gone, his Barracuda wasn't in the driveway anymore. He actually left me here to go after her.

I curled up in the backseat of my car and locked the doors. This was too much. I couldn't handle this, not now. It was all coming back, like it was October 2000 all over again. I let out an ironic laugh at the year she died, how the millennium was supposed to be the end of the world and how everyone laughs about it now because the world clearly hasn't ended. The irony is that the world _did_ end that year; my world.

**A/N: I actually got a little teary writing the conclusion of this chapter, it was a tough one to write through. I hope the emotion comes across, because her heart was just shredded when she saw the yellow walls, so I hope I pulled it off. Anywho, you know the drill, Review please! Next chapter is coming soon I hope. Have a good one :D**

**PS: I've unintentionally put songs to different parts of the story so if you're interested in it let me know and I'll send you a few. I'm not making a playlist, but whenever I go on my hunts for new sounds I always end up finding something that is so Annie or fits a situation in the story entirely and can't help but make a little note of it just for myself. So anyway, if you'd like some music to set the tone or something, let me know. Or if you have any suggestions of things I should listen to, feel free to recommend something because I'm always looking for new stuff. I personally like having a song to connect to a story, it just sets the mood and makes it so much more real I guess, so I thought you might like it too. Alright I'm done rambling now haha have a good weekend! **


	5. Chapter 3 Part 3

**A/N: I know this update is pretty quick and this might dissapoint but this isn't the next chapter, it's just the ending for Chapter 3. Originally, I was going to start chapter 4 with this, but then it just seemed a little odd because it's still dealing with chapter 3's events and then it would jump into new stuff so I thought I'd post this as an ending to chapter three and then get back to the journal entries. So here's a bit of Annie trying to deal with some personal issues that have been distracting her and her way of dealing with it. Next chapter is Annie's interpretation of the chapter titled Phenomenon in Twilight, along with a switch in PoVs and a little conniving plan in action, that you'll read about very soon. So hopefully you guys aren't too upset that this is short and that you enjoy it. I wasn't even entirely sure I liked this, I feel like I'm losing Annie's voice a little, like it's different from the beginning? I don't know, let me know what you think :) There's a little itty bitty sneak peak at the end too! **

**In the previous chapter: ****Annie comes home to find Grace and Francis painted over the lilac walls of her bedroom with a yellow color. Annie is upset because she painted her room with her mother, and to her it was like painting over a piece of her mother. When Francis runs after Grace, Annie realizes she has nowhere to retreat to, so she goes to her car. **

**Chapter Three, Part 3 **

I spent the next few hours of the night curled up in the back seat of my car, trying to push all of my memories of that year back down, too afraid to let that fateful day resurface. I wished I had my laptop with me so that I could chronicle my day and the newest breakthroughs with the Cullens and Bella, so that I could focus on anyone else but myself.

Francis pulled in the driveway a couple hours after the paint incident, walked inside and didn't even bother to come back out to see where I was. To top it all off, it was snowing again. Instead of freezing to death in a car, I decided I'd suck it up and go inside. I didn't know where I was going to sleep tonight, but it certainly wouldn't be within the walls that, just earlier today, I called my sanctuary. It was tainted now and therefore no longer mine. I'd reclaim it somehow, and destroy the parasite who infected it in the first place.

It was then that it dawned on me that my approach to Grace has been all wrong. By being the uncooperative daughter, I'm just fuelling their drive to be together. It's the classic forbidden love scenario: man loves woman but can't because daughter hates her, woman tries to woo the daughter into liking her but fails, their relationship seems impossible and yet they continue to try because they're 'in love' and all that junk. People always want what they can't have, and at this point I'm making it pretty darn impossible for Francis to have Grace without objection, so he just wants her even more. But if I were to make this relationship possible, maybe the attraction of a forbidden love affair will dissipate, leaving them with an unfulfilling relationship that both will mutually end. Good old reverse psychology could do wonders for me here. I stepped out of my car with a smile and walked up to the porch, careful with my footing since the rain had frozen underneath the light dusting of snow.

Francis was on the couch watching TV when I walked in. He didn't even turn to look at me when I walked to the couch. He just had to make this harder for me. It's not like I was going to enjoy pretending to be supportive of his affiliations with Grace, and now he had to make me work even harder. I still hadn't entirely come up with an excuse for my reaction to the yellow walls I wanted to be rid of. How do I seem grateful for it, but then paint over it later?

The silence that loomed between Francis and I was unsettling. I started chewing at the inside of my lip, trying to work up the courage to say something. It was just good ol' Francis, I never had a problem talking to him, and yet the way he acted towards me now felt more like trying to talk to a stranger, rather than my own father. Grace changed him completely, making it uncomfortable to be around him and difficult to be a version of myself that I never allowed anyone else to see. It wasn't _entirely_ who I used to be, but it was a piece of it and now I was afraid to show it to him. I felt like I was an intruder in someone else's home. I can't wait for Grace to be out of the picture. The mental image of having things return to the way they were before Grace eventually fuelled my confidence and allowed me to get the ball rolling. I coughed a little, thinking he'd turn or at least flinch but he didn't. I rolled my eyes and pushed myself to get this over with.

"Dad?" Silence. My gaze fell to the ground and I was about to turn around when I heard that slap of the tongue against the roof of the mouth, making my entire face to light up. He was going to talk to me, he would be my good ol' Francis again.

"What is it, Annie?" He said, his tone dull and annoyed. It was kind of discouraging. For a moment I thought I had him, that he'd be understanding and sympathetic about this.

"I –" I looked down at my hands as I fidgeted and my foot tapped against the hardwood floor. I heard a sigh and looked up, meeting my dad's sad eyes and caught the corner of his lip tug quickly, almost like a twitch.

"Dad, I'm sorry. I over-reacted, but you have to understand I –" And then those darn tears had to start pooling at the corner of my eyes. I was getting tired of these little distractions. "It wasn't just a paint color to me." I sniffled, hoping I could just finish this and retreat to my...okay so I have nowhere to recover to after this. I really didn't think this through thoroughly enough. But before I could even consider the aftermath, the words just spewed out of me.

"It was a piece of mom. It was the only concrete memory I had of her that doesn't remind me of that day, of what I..." But I couldn't say it. I couldn't admit to it out loud. I could just feel that part of my memory unpacking itself, and spewing into the present. All of the years I spent shoving it away, suppressing it so it seemed more like a distant dream than a piece of reality, the wall I built to keep it away, all of it was crumbling before me and I couldn't stop it this time. Francis got up and wrapped his arms around me, rubbing my back to comfort me.

I then made the mistake of looking up, of peering into the empty half of the living room, where the black shadow that hid it feathered into the lit floor. The blackness seemed to be creeping forward, closer to me, threatening me. I clutched to my dad tighter, pulling him away with me. The lamp on the desk flickered, grabbing my attention to it and to the wire running down to the plug socket that, for eight years, I've been unable to touch.

"Hey, it's okay." Francis whispered as he led me up the step and into the kitchen, to where I couldn't see the empty, black shadow anymore.

"I'm sorry. Grace is really good for you dad, I shouldn't keep you from moving on." I looked up at him and smiled. It was fake, of course, but he wouldn't know the difference. His face lit up when I said it, like I just pushed a pot of gold in front of him.

"You're really okay with it?" He asked.

"Yeah. Could you tell her I'm sorry? I feel horrible for yelling at her."

"I'm picking her up at the hospital for lunch tomorrow, why don't you come and tell her yourself? I bet she'd appreciate it more if you did it." He smiled. I wanted to hurl. I'd actually have to speak to that woman? I sighed, knowing it had to be done and it was a sacrifice I'd have to make. I'd also have to spend the night in that pee room.

"Yeah, okay." I nodded.

"You okay, sweetie?" He asked, his finger under my chin, tilting my head up.

Was I okay? Let's see, you painted my walls and took away my sanctuary, you seem to have forgotten you once had a wonderful wife, her death continues to haunt me and oh, I have to be nice to your mistress. Yeah, all in all I'm feeling pretty dandy about things.

"Yeah, just bad memories." I said, shaking my head to dismiss it. It wasn't entirely false, I just didn't give the complete truth.

"I know it's tough without her. I think about her every day. It gets easier with time, you just have to give it a chance." He said, placing his hands on my shoulders. I couldn't look at him. I felt betrayed in that moment, that my mother had been betrayed. How could he think of her everyday and then settle in Grace's arms? The two don't compare.

"I just want to go to bed. Where is mine, by the way?"

"Oh, I'll grab your mattress from the basement. We'll get your things back in there tomorrow, okay?" He said before disappearing to the basement.

I stared into the emptiness that was my room, a single mattress placed in the middle of it for me to sleep on tonight. Walking into my bedroom took some coercing. I stood at the doorway, pep talking myself to just get it over with, that it's only one night. I lifted my left foot and pointed my toe outward, pushing it past the doorway and let it hover in the air above the carpet before lowering it. It were as if the carpet was a bed of hot coals and I was building the pain tolerance to step over them. Eventually, I made it to the mattress and plopped down in the middle of it, pulling the white comforter over me. I sat there, cross-legged, as my eyes scanned my room slowly. It was an odd feeling, being in a place so familiar yet having it feel so foreign. I had this urge to get up and dig my nails into the walls, to tear away the yellow and reveal my old lilac walls. It felt stupid to feel such loss and mourning over a paint color, but that churning feeling in the pit of my stomach when I looked up at my walls just wouldn't go away. I sighed, hoping that sleep would make me forget about this chaos for a while. But, to my dismay, sleep just was not possible. I tried every position, I counted sheep, I even tried some meditation technique but none of it worked. My mind was racing with thoughts and mental images of the day's events, mixed in with older memories. I sat up, frustrated. I clearly was not going to get any sleep tonight, so I got up and turned the light on. I sat back down on the mattress, regretting having turned the light on, for now the yellow walls were in clear view. I got up to shut the light off again when I noticed a flashing light shine through the open crack of my closet door. I rushed over to my closet, opened it and was so happy to see my laptop in there, waiting for me.

I wasn't going to sleep tonight, so I might as well make use of my time and contribute a bit to my observation journal. I exhaled deeply, like the slate had been wiped clean and I was back to being Annie, the observer and getting further away from Annie, the mentally and emotionally disturbed girl.

**A/N: short, but hopefully sweet? It made sense to seperate the personal stuff from the observing, because that's what Annie does. So next chapter its back to the observing, with the regular format of a journal first. Here's a little sneak peak of the next chapter: **

***I stared blankly at the scene in front of me, unable to formulate a coherent thought. I just stood there on the curb, my body stiff and my mouth gaping open as everyone rushed to the scene. People were yelling names and telling others to call 9-1-1 and all I could do was stare at them. The chaos around me began to blur, the shouting muted and all I could concentrate on were the two people wedged between Bella's Truck and Tyler's destroyed van.**

**I'm aiming to have the next chapter up by the weekend, if things go well, Blood Type might be done too. But we'll see how it goes :) Have a good one! **


	6. Chapter 4 Phenomenon Part 1

**A/N: I'm going to start posting chapters in parts, this way updates are quicker. The chapter is obviously wayy shorter than usual because of this, but I figured updating more often with shorter chapters might be better? Let me know what you'd prefer and I'll go with it. So this here is back into the regular chapter format with a journal entry first, the *** signalling the end of the journal. I'm kind of iffy about this chapter and how the accident played out. I'm considering re-writing or something. I used both Twilight and Midnight Sun, and tried to incorporate key details from both so hopefully I did it justice. Part 2 of Chapter 4 will be the hospital, where Annie bumps into Edward and then meets up with her dad and Grace for lunch. Alright, don't forget to review!!! I'd love to hear what you think about it. And Happy Mothers Day to all of the mothers out there :) **

**Observation Two: Newton's Third Law of Motion **

**Observation Period: **One week – following Bella Swan's arrival

**Main Subjects in question: (1)**Bella Swan, **(2)** Edward Cullen

**Other Subjects Examined in Congruence with 1&2**: Cullen siblings as a whole, Mike Newton, Jessica Stanley, student body as a whole.

**Key Development Made: For every Bella there is an equal and opposite Edward **

** For every Edward there is an equal and opposite Bella **

It is apparent that Newton's third law of motion does not only apply to physics, but to human behaviour. It has been expressed through the relationship between subjects (1)Bella Swan and (2)Edward Cullen, the main subjects of observation at this time. For when subject (1) is present, the behaviour of subject (2) changes drastically, and vice versa. It was evident at first sight on the first day of observation for Bella Swan, but evidence has since heightened due to the absence of subject (2), which in turn brought out an opposite reaction from subject (1) in comparison to when subject (2) was present. Upon return of subject (2), however, subject (1) returned to the old reaction to said subject as was witnessed on day one. This phenomenon will be explored further by taking a look at the situation from a wider angle, then narrowing in on the subjects in question.

Other observations to be discussed are that of the student body in reaction to subject (1) and how behaviour has changed after one week of familiarity with the subject. Individual members of the student body will be analyzed with the main subject (1) as they form relations with one another. It is also important to note reactions of the Cullen siblings both individually and as a whole in congruence with the main subjects. Also to be noted about them is a feature that has yet to be solved, which is that of eye color. All five Cullens had amber coloured eyes during the observation period, in contrast to the black colour of the last observation period. The weekly change is still persistent and the reason for the change is still unknown.

It is important to note that Edward Cullen's absence occurred immediately after meeting and sitting next to Bella Swan. As noted previously, their first interaction was not a good one, with Edward acting way out of character, exhibiting emotions never expressed by the subject during the two years of prior observation. So it was quite obvious, when Edward did not show up to school the next day, that the reason for his absence was Bella Swan. During Edward's absence, Bella seemed to relax and become more comfortable in her surroundings. She stopped hiding behind her hood and her hair and meshed well into the student body. As Edward's absence lingered, lasting throughout the rest of the week, Bella thrived among the student body and quickly became a part of a niche consisting of Mike Newton, Jessica Stanley, Angela Weber and the like. The rest of the student body also grew comfortable with Bella's presence and quickly disregarded her 'new girl' status, accepting her as one of the crowd.

Mike Newton's interest in Bella during this period spiked, as he was always by her side. An note-worthy observation is the Jessica's reaction to Mike's interest in Bella. When Mike appears interested in Bella, Jessica seems to hype up the, BFF factor, acting as Bella's close friend in order to remain close to Mike. It's a bit animalistic, in my opinion, because by claiming Bella as a good, close friend, she also marks her territory, since it's apparently an unwritten rule that one does not date another who is of interest to a friend. Hence, Jessica's claiming her territory by being 'buddy buddy' with Bella, and therefore reinforcing this unwritten rule. Social etiquette among girlfriends is quite fascinating in how females tend to subconsciously abide by it. However, I don't see any reason for Jessica to take such action since Bella does not seem to show much interest in Mike other than that of friendship. It looks like the wager between Mike and Eric is a lost cause, because neither will win her over. It would take someone special to do that, and that someone I believe to be the one who pulls the most drastic reactions from her: Edward Cullen. So it is as this point that I predict Bella Swan and Edward Cullen to develop some form of a relationship, one superior to the rest she's formed during her time here. Whether it will grow romantic I cannot say just yet, but put two special individuals together and something is bound to flourish.

The day of Edward's return is when things became more interesting, as his siblings' behaviour changed from their usual demeanour. When walking into the cafeteria, they were all surrounding him protectively. Alice, who is usually calm, was a bit wary and tense. Jasper was calm, leading Alice to their table, when he is usually very tense and rigid. Rosalie was expressing utter annoyance and distaste to anyone and everyone, when she usually never pays any attention to what is happening around her. Emmett used his large body to lead the family through the cafeteria and was very protective in his stance, when he's usually more laid back. They all acted very cautious around Edward, which makes me wonder what it was that contributed to his long absence. It was speculated that Bella was the reason, but after the lengthy absence, another factor may also be into play. Upon further investigation with Dr. Cullen, however, no concrete explanation could be contrived.

In regards to Bella, Edward's absence had her hiding once again. It seems as though he brings out a fear our insecurity in her, tracing back to her first day here. She had no intention of hiding herself from those she was now familiar with, but in relation to Edward the hiding was just as bad as the first day, meaning she did not want to draw his attention to her. However, Edward seemed to be entirely focused on her.

The first true interaction during biology was very useful in getting to understand Bella, in that she is a selfless individual and less plain than once assumed. She had put aside her own happiness for that of her mother's, which is astonishing considering the human condition to put one's own needs before everyone else's. My interest in her has risen slightly in light of this.

Edward Cullen returned to his usual polite persona, but was still tense at times. The break through here is the length and substance of his conversation with Bella. Edward is a man of few words, as are his family, but with Bella he seemed to hold a conversation with ease, keeping it afloat by asking her questions. Some were more personal than others, as if he were digging for information about her. All in all it was an enlightening observation period. Whatever it was that drove Edward's absence and in turn made his family expose different aspects of their character is unknown, but is something to be grateful to for it is bringing me closer figuring them out. I've discovered more about them in a week than I have during two years of observation, all thanks to Bella Swan.

A very special detail that is absolutely crucial to the development of the Cullen family observations is that of an incident during lunch involving snow balls. Emmett Cullen produced a perfectly shaped and frozen snowball in the palm of his hand minutes after having been in a heated room. It is a fact that fire and ice do not mix, that one cancels out the other. So the heat of one's hand should therefore melt the icy form into a puddle of water. Yet, the ball showed no signs of melting. The only way it could have remained intact in such a manner would be if the hand that produced it was of the same temperature, which is impossible. The only way for that to happen is if Emmett were a cold, dead body, which obviously is not the case considering he is very much alive.

*******

Closing the top of my laptop, I felt a great sense of release. It were as if I were cleansed of all drama and distractions and my mind was recovered from the blows it had recently taken. The memories were stuffed back where they should be, locked down with a new wall built to keep them away for now. I realized it was only a matter of time before they'd erupt again and that I would have to deal with them whether I liked it or not. It wasn't a matter of 'if' it would happen, but 'when'. To prevent the trauma of dealing with it unexpectedly, I decided to make a promise to myself to deal with my issues once the school year was over, when observing was minimized and I had all of the time in the world to focus on myself. Until then, I'd immerse myself into the lives of others; more importantly, into the lives of Edward Cullen and Bella Swan. It would be the observation to top all past observations.

I fell asleep eventually, getting roughly two hours of rest before waking up on my own during the early morning hours. The darkness slowly crept away as daylight began to emerge, leaving a blue hue of light in my room, making the walls seem almost green. It was such a cheery and distracting colour, waking up to it was not pleasant. That, paired with the sound of chains clanking was making it impossible to drift off to sleep again. Lord knows where the clanking was coming from, I didn't have the patience to scope it out. I figured I'd get an early start to my day, since I wasn't going to get any more sleep anyway.

I took what I thought was a long shower, brushed my teeth and dried my hair, only to realize my routine only took 17 minutes to complete. It was nearing 6:30, which meant I still had another hour and a half to spare. I sighed, bored already and hating the idea of sitting around and waiting until I could acceptably to go to school. I pulled out my flat iron, a birthday gift from Francis from a few years ago, and brushed off the dust from the top of the box. It was something I rarely used. The iron saw the light of day whenever I had somewhere special to go to and needed to look nice. Straightening my hair just never seemed logical to me in a place that is under a constant cover of rain clouds, but considering I had time to spare here I wasn't about to be picky about it. When I was finished, I had to admit it wasn't too shabby. It was kind of pointless since it would be ruined when I walk to my car later, but it was nice and wasted a good amount of time.

I heard Francis wake up, his feet barely lifting off the ground as he made his way to the bathroom. He held his hand over his eyes, shielding them from the light before he flicked the light switch off. He stood in the doorway and smiled at me drowsily, then grunted once and nodded his head towards the door, signalling me to leave. I went downstairs and poured him a bowl of cereal, eating my own as I waited for him. He hopped down the stairs and smiled with a laugh when he saw that I'd prepared his breakfast for him. It wasn't much, I was no chef, but Francis was the kind of man who appreciated the little things. He looked up to thank me, but then stepped back when he saw me. He's entire face lifted into a smile.

"Wow, you haven't looked this nice since Aunt Carol's wedding a couple years ago." He said as he sat down on the stool by the counter.

"Thanks. I had some time on my hands." I muttered before shoving a spoonful of cheerio's in my mouth.

"Mhm... who's the boy?"

I choked in response to his question, a single cheerio got stuck in my throat. This was absurd. Why would he think I did this for a boy? I wouldn't go out of my way to make myself attractive for male attention, I value myself higher than that. In fact, I often wish the human species could attract mates much like peacocks do, with the males doing all the flaunting and attracting, with females having the luxury of sitting back to watch. Why do I have to do all the work?

"Excuse _you_, but there is no boy. I couldn't sleep."

"Okay..." He said with an upward inflection, his spoon hovering in front of his lips as if waiting for me to correct myself. He was hiding something. I could see it in the straight, tight line of a smile and the tilt of his chin towards me and his closed eyes.

"What are you implying?" I asked, annoyed that he was being this way. I've never had to discuss boys with my father, it was a topic we both mutually avoided. Why the sudden interest?

"Nothing, just some town gossip. You know how that is." He slurped the milk from his spoon.

"People are talking about me?"

I inhaled deeply, imagining myself as one of those cartoon characters with steam coming out of their ears. Town gossip can be interesting at times for an observer such as myself, but when I'm the topic du jour it's really not that satisfying. It draws unnecessary attention, and people get all sneaky around you which makes observing difficult since everyone's trying to avoid you and keep you from their little secrets. The last time I had to deal with this nonsense was...well, a time I'd rather not mix in with this one. The latter I could somewhat comprehend, but this topic was just petty.

"It's nothing, really. Just some mothers at the diner talking about their kids." He continued to dance around the subject.

"Just spit it out dad, what did you hear?"

"Well, Mrs. Groves was telling Gladys that her son Tim caught you admiring Edward Cullen during class."

"Why would Tim say that to his mother? And I was not 'admiring' Edward Cullen." I added with a humph.

"Apparently he was a bit frustrated with you as a lab partner and vented out to a friend of his on the phone; his mother overheard him." He said, with a disappointed tone when he mentioned the bit about the lab partner.

"That stupid..." I grunted under my breath, cursing Tim silently for being so vocal about what I do during class.

"Is that it? Only those two were talking?" I asked, hoping this wasn't spreading. If it got to the Cullens it would ruin me. Francis pressed his lips together, allowing them to roll inward and his jaw clenched. He inhaled and looked to the side, then shrugged.

"Who else knows?" I groaned.

"So it's true? You're interested in Edward Cullen?" He asked, like a gossipy teenage girl. Sometimes I wondered if Francis sat at a table with Gladys and the others, sipping coffee while they gossip about their children while we're at school.

"No! I am _not_ interested in Edward Cullen! Who else, dad?"

"Mrs. Stanley piped in, apparently Jessica had a thing for the boy too once." He reported, seeming to enjoy himself.

"This is just perfect." I said, heavy on the sarcasm.

"Don't sweat it, the rumours will blow over eventually. You do look pretty, honey."

"Yeah, Yeah...I'll see you later." I groaned as I trudged to the coat rack, dreading the day ahead.

"Don't forget, we're meeting Grace at the hospital around noon!" He called out to me as I stepped out of the door. I almost forgot, I'd be spending the afternoon with Grace, my sworn enemy. My social reputation will be ruined with all of this mediocrity. I sighed, deciding it was as good a time as any to leave for school.

I was met with the frigid snip of cold air when I opened the front door, making me shiver in my wool coat, sending vibrations so deep my organs shook. It snowed overnight, leaving a sheet of snow behind for me to slip and fall in. Brown slush lined the sides of the road, worms of the stuff slithering around the middle where tires had once driven. The needles and branches of the trees glistened, the frozen rain from yesterday coating every inch like a sugary glaze on a doughnut. I looked back at the road and hoped enough cars drove by to melt whatever ice froze over it last night. At least it wasn't snowing or raining right now, so my hair would last. I give it a couple hours, if the rain doesn't make it frizz the heating in the school contrasting with the cold air outside sure will.

The drive to school was actually a nice one this morning. Besides worrying about sliding (which I did slightly when I turned a corner into the highway), it was a scenic drive. I never really appreciated the beauty Forks has to offer, I mean you see moss once, you've seen it all. But during the winter, it takes on this whole different vibe. It's stunning. Deadly, but stunning. It makes you think a little about how something so beautiful is essentially life threatening. It's funny how that works. Maybe it's all a part of the scheme, making something irresistibly beautiful to attract you, pulling you into a trap and then killing you when you least expect it. I pulled into the school parking lot, thankful to still have my life. I was one of the first in the row I parked in, taking the first spot next to the curb.

The lot was fairly empty, only a few cars scattered here and there. I decided to stay in my car and soak up the heat, only leaving it when I absolutely had to. The Cullens pulled in shortly after I did and a few moments later so did Bella. I swear you can hear her truck coming from miles away, even when confined inside a silent car. She parked next to my car and cut off the boisterous roar of her truck. I looked out to the parking lot that began filling up and figured I'd get out now, since I'd have to sooner or later and the sooner I got out, the sooner I'd be in the heated school. I reached behind me to grab my bag that I had thrown into the opposite side of the back seat yesterday. I grunted, my finger tips barely grazing the straps as I extended my arm further. I sighed, slumping back into my seat with the realization that I'd have to walk around my car in the cold to retrieve my bag. I got out, making sure my feet were firm on the ground before carefully stepping around the front of my car, onto the curb and to the back car door. Bella was just stepping out of her truck, her eyes on her tires when she glanced up at my elevated form on the curb as I swung the door shut with a dainty push of my fingertips after getting my bag from the back seat, not wanting to touch the cold surface of the car. Today was the wrong day to forget gloves. The strap of my bag hung lazily on a bed of my four fingers, centimetres from the snow, as I measured its weight and imagined the discomfort it would cause when on my shoulder.

"Oh hey, Annie." Bella said, her eyes reverting to the chains on her tires. The clanking sounds from this morning made sense to me now. Charlie must have put them on for her before he left for work.

"Hey." I replied through chattering teeth. I hate the cold.

I looked up at the parking lot and watched as groups huddled together and bodies made their way indoors. They were all meaningless figures and faces to me. Only one stood out above all the rest. Edward was by his car, leaning against it with Alice. He was watching Bella as she clung to her truck. I looked away with a sudden urgency to get inside. I hastily swung my bag up and over my shoulder, oblivious to the fact that the front pouch was open. _Wuthering Heights_ fell to the ground, a burst of snow elevating upon impact like dust, the white specks scattering along the cover of the book. I grunted, bent down and picked it up, shaking the snow away. I placed my bag on the roof of my car to put the book back in when a loud screech pierced my ears, causing me to cringe.

I looked up and my jaw dropped at the sight of Tyler Crowley's van turning into the parking lot, skidding and sliding in my direction at top speed. My book fell out of my hands and my body went stiff. My eyes were glued to the van as it hit the truck bed of Bella's truck. I heard a crack and two bodies appeared behind my car. It was Bella and...Edward? Where did he come from? How?

Before I could even begin to question the bodies laying on the ground behind my car, the van was hurled around the truck and headed towards Bella again. I wasn't sure whether to worry about Bella or the back end of my car as I watched the van screech towards both. I cringed away, squeezing my eyes shut tight as I waited for the sound of the impact. I bit down on my bottom lip so hard it bled, the salty iron taste staining my tongue. But instead of the sound of metal screeching and smashing against metal, there was this crunching screech sound, different from the kind I had expected. I opened my eyes and saw Edward's hands pressed into the side of the van. I noticed my car teeter toward me, as if something was thrust into the other side of it. I blinked hard once and when I opened my eyes the van dropped and the windows shattered, sending shards sliding against the curb beneath my feet. And then it was silent, like time had paused and the Earth stopped spinning for a moment.

I stared blankly at the scene in front of me, unable to formulate a coherent thought. I just stood there on the curb, my body stiff and my mouth gaping open as everyone rushed to the scene. People were yelling names and telling others to call 9-1-1 and all I could do was stare at them. The chaos around me began to blur, the shouting muted and all I could concentrate on were the two people wedged between Bella's Truck and Tyler's destroyed van.

They were pressed against each other, staring at each other without speaking. Edward's mouth then opened but I couldn't hear anything and I couldn't concentrate enough to make out what he was saying.

It was a strange feeling, standing so close to the scene of the accident, and yet looking at it as an outsider. It felt like there were glass separating me from the scene, that I was simply watching from afar as the number of bodies surrounding Edward and Bella grew. A few people nudged and shoved me as they ran by, trying to get a closer look at Bella, to see if any of her blood was spilled onto the pavement. It was interesting to see the shock on their faces when they noticed Edward there, hovering above her protectively. Some turned to look at the one beside them, silently asking how he got there, how Bella's body wasn't squashed in between the van and the pavement. I wondered if most of those who rushed over were genuinely concerned or simply wanted to see a gory scene.

Teachers and parents came over to the scene and an ambulance pulled into the parking lot. The crowd cleared, but I couldn't move. I was bewildered, lost in my own little world. It felt like I were in a private box, watching a movie at a theatre. It was so strange, like a high. I half expected butterflies, flowers and lights of all different colors to appear before my eyes, as if falling from the sky. Maybe all of this was a hallucination, that the stigma of those yellow walls crept into my subconscious and made me dream all this up.

Edward spoke to an EMT as they wheeled a stretcher in and put Bella on it. She wasn't too enthused about being put in a neck brace as everyone watched. She was the center of attention now more than ever. I could tell she hated it. I noticed Edward's upper body shift, followed by a sound, almost like more mental and crunching. It was faint though, not as loud and frightening as it was when the van hit Bella's truck. I've never heard anything quite like it before, so I couldn't pinpoint what it was. It was odd to hear more sounds coming from metal when the chaos was over and the van was still, pushed away when the ambulance arrived. I dismissed it, thinking it could have come from people tinkering with the van or something. Charlie arrived then, calling Bella's name in a panic. Poor Charlie, I knew seeing Bella like this must have torn him up inside with worry. It made me feel even more guilty about the apple cutting incident, seeing now from an outsider's perspective how that must have made Francis feel.

Bella was then loaded into the ambulance and led out of the parking lot with a police escort. I looked around at the clumps of people huddled together as they watched the ambulance drive away. Standing here with the others as Bella and the Cullens were on their way to the hospital was unbearable. My feet, stapled to the ground moments ago, were now moving me to the driver's side of my car.

"We should go to the hospital to make sure everyone is okay!" I heard a girl tell another as they scurried past me towards a green car.

I looked around and noticed many more students piling into cars. I knew I had to hurry, or else I'd miss anything potentially useful. I slipped my fingers under the door handle, opening the door in haste when I stopped and noticed something strange about the back end of my car. There was a slight impression in the side of it, very faint, but still there. Most would never have noticed it, but I'm very particular when it comes to my possessions. I knew every square inch of this vehicle in detail, and that, whatever it is, was never one of them. I ran my fingers along it, remembering the teeter of my car as Edward stopped the van, or at least that's what it looked like. I'm sure there's a logical explanation for the dent in the van, it was probably from the truck from the first time the van hit it. Could it be possible that Edward was pushed against my car, leaving an indentation of his shoulders? I considered it for a moment, but then shook my head at the idea. It was probably just a stain from some careless passerby. I'd have to wash it off later. Some people have no respect for the property of others.

I pulled out of the parking spot and sped as much as I could out of the parking lot and to the hospital. I squealed a little as I neared the hospital, excitement pressing my foot on the gas a little harder. It would be the first observation of Edward and Bella outside of a school setting. Plus, Carlisle would be there which just adds more of my adored subjects into the mix. My imagination ran wild as it considered all of the possibilities that could result from such a situation.

**A/N: So what are you thinking? Was the accident scene too short? Did I miss something? Should Annie have seen more? Did it catch the gist of the accident? Let me know in a review :) Thanks!**


	7. Chapter 4 Part 2

**A/N: Here it is guys, finally! I'm sorry it took longer than it should have, I got a bit side tracked. Like I mentioned on my profile page, I've been writing some original fiction lately, dabbling into my own stuff and exploring some ideas i've had for a while for stories of my own and decided it was time to give them a shot. Unfortunately, The Observer got a bit neglected because of that. I also rewrote quite a bit of this, so that took some extra time too. The EPOV is attached at the end, it's short and just a little drabble into Edward's mind. Edward is the one who watches out for thoughts that could be suspicious or that could threaten exposure and Annie happens to have one of those thoughts, so it's a bit of what Edward does when something like that happens. It's not that good honestly haha but what the heck, it was a fun little experiment there and I hope you like it, even if it may seem a bit off. Next update probably won't be for another week, but we'll see how that goes it may be sooner. Anywho, thanks a bunch for reading, Please Review! I'd really appreciate it. I need to make these A/Ns shorter, like geez kudos to you guys who actually read all of this. PS: I update my profile page often in between updates so if you're ever curious about how its coming along just check it out. Also, I have a fiction press account now under the same username I have here on FF, I posted a short story not too long ago so if you're interested, feel free to check it out :) K I'm done now, I promise. You guys are great!!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight, but Stephenie Meyer sure does!**

**Previously: Annie witnesses the accident in the parking lot in which Edward saves Bella from being crushed by Tyler's van. She then follows Bella to the hospital to do some observing. **

I crept through the back entrance of the hospital as if I were a bank robber. I crouched down and scurried across the floor, pressing my back into the wall as I walked along it, my head turning swiftly from left to right before turning a corner. I realized, after sneaking into the hospital and down two hallways, that I was alone. I sighed, straightened out my coat and walked casually down to the end of the hallway I was in, only to be met with utter chaos when I turned the next corner. Kids from school were huddling around, standing on tip toes and blabbing away about Bella's condition in the front lobby. I sprinted around the corner and kept running until I was absolutely sure I was in the clear. How did they all get here so fast? I rolled my eyes, knowing I'd have to find some other way of getting close to Bella without being noticed. I continued walking, shaking my head at the amount of people here fussing over Bella like this. Geez, the lengths people will go to when something out of the ordinary happens amazes me.

Upon making a left at the next corner, a nurse came out of one of the rooms and walked in my direction. I slammed myself into the wall around the corner in haste, hoping she didn't catch me watching. I waited a few seconds before casually stepping away from the wall and around the corner. I held my chin up and smiled, knowing I was getting close to Bella. Just as I turned the corner I had the wind knocked out of me by the nurse I had spotted and was trying to avoid, who just so happened to be turning the corner at the same time I was.

"Oh, I'm sorry – " Her eyes drifted up from her feet and directly into my eyes, her expression changing from being all cheery and sympathetic to shooting an annoyed glare at me. I felt like I was five year old being reprimanded for stealing a cookie before dinner. I recognized her then, the glaring eyes and light blonde hair that was almost white couldn't go unnoticed. Janice inhaled deeply through pursed lips, her chest rising and falling in two distinct motions.

"Hey! You kids from the high school are to remain in the lobby! Now go!" She said, pointing a stiff finger down in the direction I'd just come from. I peered down at her clipboard, noticing 'SWAN, ISABELLA' written across the top. I was about to smile when Nazi nurse gave me a shove. I shook my head and turned around, only to be met with more annoyances.

"Annie? Is that you?" Grace squinted as she walked towards me.

"Yeah, hi..." I said, my eyes fluttering in every which direction to avoid Grace's face. She just kept getting closer until there was no escaping her and I was wedged in between two nurses.

"I'll take it from here, Janice." Grace looked past me and waved her devious little hand at Janice. Janice slapped her tongue off the roof of her mouth and walked away, the squeak of her white shoes following her every step.

"You here for the Swan girl?" She asked. It then dawned on me, amid the hatred I felt for the woman standing before me, underneath the unbearable cotton candy perfume that make my nostrils burn, that Grace could actually be valuable in this situation.

I sighed then, tugging the corners of my mouth in a frown.

"Yeah, Bella...I'm really worried about her, Grace. I was right there when the accident happened, I saw everything. It was horrible. And...well, she's the only friend I've had in a really long time and I just really hope she's okay." I said, keeping my tone saddened and worried, pausing at moments to make it seem as if continuing would make me cry.

"Oh, honey..." Grace cooed, wrapping her arm around my shoulders and leading me down the hallway towards the room I suspected to be Bella's. "I'm not supposed to do this, but..." She stopped just before the door and placed both hands on my shoulders.

"This is Bella's room. Go ahead and see her really quickly, okay? And if anyone asks, you found her room on your own. Got it?" She whispered.

"Yes, thank you so much!" I smiled, hoping she wouldn't hug me now. She nodded once and then left, leaving me thankful to have her grimy hands off of me. I was just about to step foot into the room when she called my name from down the hallway.

"Oh, Annie! I'll see you at lunch!" She said with a thumbs up before continuing on her way. I rolled my eyes as I watched her walk away, unnaturally swaying her hips from side to side.

I stood at the doorway, peering into the room as I tried to figure out how to manoeuvre this, to get in there and observe while remaining unnoticed. Tyler was in the room next to Bella, nurses fluttering around him with bloodied bandages and new ones to replace them. There was a curtain pulled between Tyler's bed and the one closest to the door, and I considered occupying it when I heard footsteps from a distance, getting louder as they got closer. I panicked, and ran back around the corner, slinking around to listen as Dr. Cullen examined his patients.

As I stood there, waiting to see or hear anything of interest my eye lids began to feel heavy and my lack of sleep started to take its toll on me. I fought against it, widening my eyes and blinking hard to push the drowsiness back and pacing so that I wouldn't get too comfortable leaning against the wall.

"Is she sleeping?" Edward's voice echoed towards me, awakening me like no amount of caffeine ever could. I snaked my fingers around the corner where the two walls met and peeked my head out from behind the wall I was behind. If only there were some kind of microphone in magnifying the volume of their voices in there so that I wouldn't have to put forth so much effort straining myself to hear the conversation clearly. This exertion was making me even sleepier.

Tyler started apologizing to Edward, to which he replied with a simple 'no blood, no foul'. I found this to be quite peculiar and suspicious, for there truly was no blood, not from Edward. But, from where I was standing, he should be the one with the most bloodshed.

Edward asked Bella for the verdict on her condition, to which she insisted there was nothing to worry about and questioned why Edward wasn't in a gurney like the rest of them. I gasped a little, my head leaning forward like a teenage girl watching Gossip Girl just as something 'OMG' worthy happens. Bella wasn't afraid to dig for the dirt up front, fearlessly asking the questions I wished I could ask and I was very grateful for that. This could be the birth of a wonderful, secret observing relationship with Bella, like partners in crime, except one partner doesn't know that they're in on it. Works for me. Edward answered Bella's question as coolly as he would anything, saying it was all about who you know. Fair enough, Dr. Cullen got him out of having to be poked and prodded like Bella and Tyler were, but it still doesn't explain the fact that he doesn't have a scratch on him. Maybe he really is made out of stone...

As if he had heard his subtle mention in Edward and Bella's conversation, Dr. Cullen appeared and turned into the room to check in on Bella. He asked her a bunch of questions to which Bella answered with a 'fine' each time. How many times do these people have to hear that she's fine? If she says she's fine then she's fine. These hospital types are so persistent.

"Can't I go back to school?" Bella asked. Okay, maybe she is sick. I think it may be fatal. Who actually wants to go to school? If I were in her place I'd be milking it for all it's worth.

Dr. Cullen insisted she take it easy for the day, to which Bella made another valid point that Edward was able to go back to school and he was in the accident too. If I could applaud I would, this girl was absolutely fearless. Well, to me anyway. I would never have the guts to speak out like that, ever. And for that, I admired her.

When Dr. Cullen mentioned most of the student body was in the waiting room Bella was not thrilled at all. I loved the irony of this, it was beautiful. Here we have the girl who tries so hard to stay out of the lime light and yet she's constantly thrust into the middle of it, always the center of the attention she so passionately avoids. Not only that, but she's now under the attention of one of the only people who even matter, for she has caught the attention of a Cullen. Two, if you count the doctor, but it's his job to pay attention to her, Edward could have walked away and never given her a second glance. But here he was, checking on her. He saved her life, he took the effort and the risk for her. He's never shown any interest for anyone outside of his family, ever. It's always opposite day for my friend, life, always giving people the opposite of what they really want. Whether life is just cruel of whether it's genuinely trying to teach us a valuable lesson, I'll never know. Life is the one subject I never bothered to figure out, the one that is absolutely impossible to understand.

"Do you want to stay?" Dr. Cullen asked Bella.

"No, no!" She exclaimed.

Bella's feet plopped on to the linoleum floor in haste, sending me into a frenzy of panic. Realistically, this would be the point where I'd make a run for it, cut my ties to the situation and be happy with what I was able to get, but a part of me was unsatisfied and took over. looked from side to side, unsure of where to go, my heart pounding in my chest as I reminded myself that time was running out. I looked down either end of the empty hallway, a force pulling me in both directions due to my uncertainty.

I stopped then and calmed myself, realizing I had nothing to worry about. No one had noticed me here, except for Janice but that was easily taken care of. And if anyone does find me I can just say I was meeting Grace and my being here had nothing to do with Bella at all. Still, I figured it would be safer to move a bit further from where Bella was so that it didn't seem suspicious. I crossed where the four hallways intersected and leaned against the wall, halfway down the hallway. I felt the need to put on an act, checking my watch restlessly and pacing to make it look as if I were waiting for someone. I felt a presence behind me as my back was turned and looked behind me quickly and noticed Edward and Bella huddled by the corner I had been standing by just moments ago. I felt relieved that I'd moved, knowing if I hadn't I would have been caught.

I listened as closely as I could with my back still turned, angling my ear up and to the side so that I could hear them better.

At first all I could hear was my breathing, in and out, in and out...it was making me sleepier than I already was. The silence of the hospital, the white walls and floors, all of it was making the sleepiness hit me harder after each intake of breath. This was absolute madness. My frustration escalated as I fought with my eyes to stay open, battling with the drowsiness that loomed over me, threatening me.

My vision began to blur and I blinked hard to make the haze in my vision go away. A hushed pounding began at the centre of my forehead and my head lolled to the side. I was tired. Scratch that, I was dead tired. Those stupid yellow walls ruined everything. They are so out of there the second I can get to a hardware store and buy some paint.

When I heard Edward's accusing tone, asking Bella what she thinks happened I was snapped back into reality. Or was I dreaming? It certainly felt like a dream. Their voices sounded weird, like they were echoes and at times they would just black out completely, only to be dropped back into my ears when it got intense.

"The van was going to crush us both – and it didn't, and your hands left dents in the side of it – and you left a dent in the other car, and you're not hurt at all – " The other car? He left a dent in another car? Then it hit me – _my_ car! That strange, whatever it is on the side of my car...that was Edward? He...how does a teenage boy dent a car? How does he dent _two_ cars? And how is he not dead right now? My head began pounding harder, all of this information dropping into my mind like a heavy downpour slapping against the pavement.

"You think I lifted a van off you?" Edward asked. "No one would believe that, you know." He continued. It was strange, I mean why say that if there were really nothing to believe? So, Edward Cullen lifted a van. It could happen, mothers lift cars off of babies all the time.

The pounding got worse, sending waves of pain from the center of my brain, one after the other. Damn Grace, because of her I'm missing this. This could be the most important conversation my ears will ever hear and she took it from me because of her stupid paint job.

Bella's voice then broke through the sonic booms going off in my head.

"I don't like to lie – so there better be a good reason why I'm doing it." Lying? About what? So he did leave the dents and lifted the van, but why would she have to lie about it? What on Earth did I miss?

"You're not going to let it go are you?" Edward asked.

"No." Bella replied. Gutsy.

"In that case... I hope you enjoy disappointment." Edward said.

Wow. I've never seen – well, _heard_ Edward be so intense and rigid. He's expressing all of these different emotions so passionately, showing sides of him that, two weeks ago I would have never guessed he possessed. Finally the veil is thinning and the true version of himself is coming through. Too bad I can't fully enjoy this. Never again am I going to neglect getting a full eight hours of sleep, under any circumstances. With great frustration and defeat I turned down the hallway, lazily putting one foot in front of the other, watching my feet as I walked. When another set of feet appeared before mine I staggered, stepping back and looked up to see who the feet belonged to.

It was Edward, he was walking towards me, I mean, down the hallway but in my general direction. He was here, in between the same two walls I was in between. It was just he and I, alone. This has never happened before. I knew it would be over quickly, but something about it made me feel strange, kind of fuzzy and a little scared. I felt like I should drop to the floor and not look at him, like I wasn't allowed to. But I couldn't help myself, I looked up and we exchanged glances.

"Annie." He nodded, stepping around me.

I stepped aside, flinging myself against the wall. I was filled with a sense of euphoria, having experienced the hypnotizing combination of his scent and his voice. But it was so much more than that. Edward Cullen acknowledged me. Edward Cullen knows my name. He knows who I am! I'm more than another face, I'm a face with a name, a somebody.

I looked up to watch Edward walk away and noticed he had stopped in the middle of the hallway. He turned in my direction and smiled at me, nodding again before continuing on his way.

I should have been immensely flattered and over the moon like I was when he said my name, but something about his timing threw me off. I found it strange that he just stopped and smiled at me. And it wasn't just any smile, it was sympathetic, pitying even. I mean, a name utterance and a nod is normal social behaviour. But, coming from Edward it's like a miracle because the man never interacts with anyone outside of his family and now apparently Bella. But outside of that, it's regular human behaviour to acknowledge an acquaintance when coming across one. But the extra acknowledgement, right when I was elated with the fact that I wasn't nameless, that he knew me was just strange. It made me think of that day in physics when I humoured the idea that he had read my mind when I prayed he wouldn't sit next to me. Had he read my mind just now? Did he hear how grateful I was that he knew me? Is that why he smiled, because he felt sorry for me? Even though this mind reading or telepathy or whatever you want to call it is absolutely insane, it's actually making sense. In fact, it makes the scene of the accident make sense. How else could he have gotten there so fast, unless he knew what was coming? I began to walk down the hall, to follow him. I quickened my pace and noticed him walking out the door to the parking lot.

That's it, Edward Cullen. I know your secret.

And then he flinched and quickened his pace. I'm right. He flinched, it means he heard me and he knows I know.

Now what do I do about it?

**EPOV**

I walked away from Bella, still mesmerized by her face, when I bumped into a drowsy looking girl. She had dark bags under her eyes, her face puffed up with fatigue. She looked familiar, and when the name came to me I accidently said it out loud.

"Annie." I said, the name attaching to the face in an instant. Realizing what I'd done, I nodded to acknowledge her, as if I had said her name on purpose as a greeting. I stepped around her, and walked away. I could sense her emotions after I had uttered her name, how it had impacted her.

_Edward Cullen knows my name, he knows who I am! _

Her thoughts were like a quiet mumble, escalating in volume as more emotion and excitement were pressed behind them. I stopped then, feeling a slight twinge of pity for the poor girl. I turned back and smiled at her, to confirm that she didn't go unnoticed and then continued on my way to the parking lot. I wasn't necessarily thrilled to go back to school, but it was the right thing to do. I glanced toward the full waiting room before pushing through the door towards the parking lot. The number of people had dwindled, but it was still pretty crowded.

_I know your secret. _

I flinched at the door at the sound of the quiet voice of someone's thoughts. The voice was unfamiliar. I felt like I knew it, but I couldn't pin point who it belonged to. It alarmed me, not so much who the thought belonged to but more so at what they had to say. Someone knew our secret, someone knew what we were. It's over. We need to leave Forks immediately.

I was about to turn to go to Carlisle, but knew he would be busy and that the person who knew our secret would probably be watching. I decided to tell Alice first instead, to see if she saw anything. Walking at a human pace to get to my car was agonizing, especially under the current circumstances. This was the ultimate emergency and having to mosey around at this pace was excruciatingly difficult. Finally, I reached the Volvo and sped out of the parking lot to get back to school.

As I drove I filtered through the many voices I've heard throughout my existence, trying to place a face to it. The voice was slightly unfamiliar but I knew I heard it before. I banged my palm on the steering wheel in frustration, trying to keep my strength under control. I need to know who thought it. I decided to back track, beginning with after the accident. No one at school had noticed anything, I had made sure of that before going to the hospital. So, it couldn't be anyone there. Perhaps one of the nurses? Could one of them have grown suspicious of Carlisle? Could Bella have told someone about what she saw during the accident after all?

I tried to consider who it could have been, going through everyone I've seen Bella speak to since she moved here. I was familiar with Jessica, Angela, Lauren...it was not one of them. As I pulled into the school parking lot I realized I had overlooked one very important person. Annie. Knowing her face now and remembering her voice, although rarely heard, I was certain it was her. She was the last person I had seen, the last I'd spoken to and the last whose thoughts I'd heard. It wouldn't be the first time she had suspected something of me. On my first day she had begged me through her thoughts to choose any seat but the one next hers and I obliged, foolishly. I could hear her during the entire period calling my name through her thoughts, at first quietly and then louder as she grew more persistent, then quiet again as she grew tired, gave up and dismissed the notion of my ability altogether. After that I never considered her to be a threat and rarely noticed her again.

A wave of guilt washed over me, knowing my carelessness would tear my family from the comfort of Forks we had all grown used to. It was inevitable that we would leave eventually, but it still pained me to know I had caused the circumstances under which we'd have to leave. But I also felt slightly grateful. With everything that had happened with the accident and Bella's suspicions of me, maybe it's best we leave anyway. Annie's thought is just quickening the inevitable. It may be a good thing to start over, to get away from Bella and the temptation she presented me with every time we were together. This could be just what I needed. Of course I hated to bring my entire family down with me and they would be angry, especially Rosalie, but in the end it would be for the best for all of us.

Alice sat down next to me in the Volvo and I assumed she had seen us leaving Forks or something of the sort.

"We have to leave, Alice. It's the only thing left to do."

"Edward, don't be silly. We do not have to leave."

"Yes, we do. Someone knows what we are, we have no other choice." I insisted. How could she even suggest we stay? She understands the dangers it would pose for us, she must know we cannot risk staying here any longer.

"Nobody knows. We're fine."

"Alice, you don't understand. I heard her. She said 'I know your secret'. It can't be any clearer than that."

"Well, I don't see us leaving. Are you sure whomever this 'she' is meant _us_?"

"Annie McCord. And yes, who else could she be referring to?"

"Annie McCord?" Alice asked, questioning the identity of the girl. "Oh, right. Edward I think you're over reacting. There is absolutely nothing to worry about and if there is I'll have seen it way before anything bad happens." She said reassuringly, laying a hand on my shoulder.

"Yes, well we all know how well in advance your visions come." I scoffed, recalling the accident. Alice pursed her lips and then sighed.

"Edward, she could have been referring to anything and anyone. Just relax and go to class." She said firmly, stepping out of the car gracefully to return to Jasper's arm.

I remained in the car, contemplating whether I really was over reacting. I suppose Alice was right, Annie could have meant anything and I hadn't heard her mention me or my family in connection to that thought. And even if she did suspect I could read minds, it's not like that is in any way linked to vampires, not in ways that a human would know about. Annie seems like a rational, logical person anyway. Even if she had suspected something, she would simply dismiss it like she had that first day in Physics.

I stepped out of the car, knowing the right thing to do would be to go to class and act naturally. All I needed to worry about now was Bella, in more ways than one. With Annie and her quiet mind's accusations pushed aside, Bella overcrowded my thoughts. I wished I could go see her, to ditch school like many others had, but knew that being here was the right thing to do.


	8. Chapter 4 Lunch Date

**A/N: Whoa a second update in one day! This is a first for The Observer! It's a short one, kind of a last minute thing. I was only going to reference the lunch briefly in the next chapter, but then decided to go ahead and write Annie's lunch date with Francis and Grace. You see how she feels about the mind reading too, she's kind of distracted because of it. As for the next chapter, I'm not sure yet whether it'll start with a journal entry, we'll see. I actually just got an idea as I was writing this, see you guys inspire me :) haha anywho, we'll see how it goes. Next update may be within a week, maybe two. I'm kind of all over the place right now and may be doing some other writing outside of FF because I'm trying to put together a portfolio to get into the creative writing program at the university, I'm a social work major right now but I'm thinking of switching? I don't know, but I figure I better be prepared if in the end I do decide to make the switch. So, I'm a little pre-occupied but don't worry I'm still going to continue with The Observer! Alright I'm dont with the rambles, I hope you enjoy and please review!**

Francis arrived at the hospital minutes after Edward had left. Grace came strolling down the hallway as if she something had informed her of his arrival. Maybe she hooked up some tracking device on his cell phone so she'd know where he is at all times. My lip tugged upward in disgust as she creeped her way over to my father, throwing her arms around his neck with a seductive gasp. Where's a bed pan when you need one?

"Annie, you're here!" Francis said, his arms still around Grace as he extended his neck up and over Grace to look at me. He seemed surprised that I'd shown up, a little relieved even. I understood why he'd think I would have been a no show, because honestly I probably would have before I made up my mind to pretend to be supportive of their coupling in order to tear them apart.

"Of course." I said with a nod, still leaning against the wall. Grace was nestled just under Francis' left arm, with one hand on his chest.

"She's been here ever since they brought in Isabella Swan." Grace said, smiling at me with approval. I raised my eyebrows, drawing my lips the a tight line of a smile.

"Isabella Swan? What happened?" Francis asked, looking down at Grace with concern.

"Oh, a van swerved in the high school parking lot and collided with her truck. Dr. Cullen's son pushed her out of the way though, she's just fine." Grace explained, patting Francis' chest.

"Were you there when it happened, Annie?" Francis asked.

"Yeah, I was parked next to Bella when it all happened." As soon as that word 'yeah' escaped my lips Francis pulled away from Grace, pushing her aside and rushed over to me, putting his hands on my shoulders.

"Are you okay, honey?" He asked, examining me for cuts and bruises.

"I'm find dad, nothing came close enough to do any damage." I laughed, smiling widely. It wasn't because I thought it was funny that Francis was so concerned when I had no part in the accident, it was because he was so quick to leave Grace's side for mine. Already, my plan was working. He could easily case her aside, especially if he thought I were hurt or in danger in any way. And if Grace were to, I don't know, hurt me or put me in danger, Francis would leave her side faster than Grace could shout out 'please' and beg him to stay.

"Let's go to the diner, you can order your favourite bacon cheeseburger and pecan pie; anything you want." He said, putting his arm around my shoulders as he lead me to the door. Grace tagged along behind us, just as it should be. I smiled, feeling like it used to when it was just Francis and I against the world, two peas in a pod, I was the Bonnie to his Clyde, and any other saying about two people who belong together.

But when I reached the car and opened the front door, Francis stopped just as he was opening his door and coughed. I looked up at his and he nodded his head to the left, indicating that I had to get in the back seat. I turned to look behind me and saw Grace standing there, smiling. I sighed, my finger flicking against the handle as I stepped out of the way and opened the door to the back seat. As we drove to the diner Grace's hand managed to find Francis' in the middle of the arm rest and they intertwined their fingers. I remembered when my mother and father used to hold hands like that and admired the way one fit the other so perfectly, like they were moulded for each other. Even the creases and lines in their palms seemed to match up. It wasn't like that with Grace. The creases in her hands were deep and jagged, nothing like the smooth crevices of Francis' palm. It just wasn't right and I got an uneasy feeling when I looked at their hands pressed together.

The diner wasn't as busy as I thought it would be during the lunch hour, especially considering the number of students who had ditched school because of the accident. Francis and Grace sat close together, connecting at the corner of the square table. I sat across from them, my mind wandering to anything but their subtle displays of affection.

It was then that my mind began to wander as I considered my encounter with Edward Cullen further. Back at the hospital, in the heat of the moment I was so sure that Edward had read my mind, that he heard my thoughts when I was surprised he knew my name, explaining the sympathetic glance and smile he gave me before he left. But now, it just seemed so strange. Mind reading? Mind reading. I kept saying the words over and over in my head in different tones and inflections, trying to find a way that didn't sound strange. My lips began to move on their own accord, mouthing the words over and over as I thought them.

"Mind reading?" I muttered by accident.

"What was that, pumpkin?" Francis asked, his voice snapping me out of the trance I was in.

"What? Oh, nothing. I didn't say anything." I said, staring out into the distance as I continued to try to figure this out.

"Okay..." Francis said questioningly before stabbing his fork into a piece of steak.

The more I considered the fact that Edward could hear my thoughts, the more violated I felt. How long could he do it? What has he heard? My eyes scanned the diner, jumping from table to table as I grew paranoid. I felt so exposed now. How many times has he heard me while I was observing? What must he have thought about me?

No. This is insane. Mind reading? It's impossible. I'm not one to believe in the psychics and ghost whisperers of the world, anyone can tell me that I'll get a promotion soon or that I'll meet a man in two years at a bar. But with Edward it almost made sense, and yet it didn't, all at the same time. I could see how it would fit him, the mysterious Edward, how such a gift could belong to him. Maybe it's why he keeps to himself, because he doesn't want to violate the privacy of someone he knows. And it explains the accident, how he was able to be there and save Bella just in the nick of time. It doesn't explain how there wasn't so much as a bruise on him, but it explains his timing.

But mind reading? It's such a bizarre concept. As much as it seemed to explain the unexplainable, I just couldn't believe it. Anything supernatural and extraordinary could explain the unexplainable, because the only thing that can explain the unexplainable is the unexplainable. You can tell me ghosts exist, that psychics see them, but what explains the psychic? There's no evidence, concrete, scientific and logical evidence. Faith can only take you so far and often fails when you rely on it the most. I've lost faith in anything and everything that isn't backed up by concrete evidence, and as much as I'd love to believe Edward's a mind reader and that all of this madness has an explanation, I just can't. It's not in me to believe it. It's just not possible, it simply isn't true. I jumped to a crazy conclusion in the heat of the moment, I'm tired and quite frankly there's been an influx of wacky occurrences in Forks lately, what with the Cullen behavioural changes and Bella's arrival. My mind is simply on the fritz.

"Annie? You've barely touched your food. Are you sure you're okay?" Francis asked, placing his hand on my wrist.

"I'm just really tired. The yellow walls are really distracting, I couldn't sleep at all last night." I confessed. I noticed Grace get offended when her eyes fell to the floor and she turned to look away, her lips pursed as she chewed on the inside of them.

"I appreciate the gesture, really, it's just a really loud color. I know I over-reacted before and I'm sorry, but I just would have liked for you to ask me first. Would you like to repaint with me?" I asked, not mentioning specific names but not implying that I didn't want Grace there either. It was a free for all and she took it. Her face lit up when she turned to meet my eyes, her posture straightening and a smile spreading across her face as she agreed.

"I'm thinking an ashy purple, or mauve, something a bit more sophisticated and subtle." I proposed.

"We'll head over to the hardware store after we're finished." Francis nodded with a smile.

I smiled, happy to be rid of those awful yellow walls, but still hung up on Edward and this whole mind reading thing. I knew in my gut it was impossible, that it simply didn't happen but I couldn't shake the feeling that there's just something extraordinary about the Cullens, something supernatural or unexplainable.

* * *


	9. Chapter 5, Part 1 Invitations

**A/N: Ta Da! An udpate! I know it's been a while, or at least it feels like it, so I apologize. I'm thinking I might actually make the switch in my major and do creative writing, so I've been working on a couple of my own stories for a portfolio, so that's taken up some time. Anywho, this is part one of this chapter, which deals with everything in the chapter entitled Invitations in twilight, all except for the last page, where Edward asks Bella to go to Seattle with him. That will be clumped in with the Blood Type chapter, which is part two. The reason for the part 1&2 is because there's no journal for the next one, but there will be afterward. This one does begin with a journal. This chapter was kind of fun, it gets very scientific in the beginning, hopefully it made sense, I am not a science person at all haha I think you'll find the end interesting, hopefully you'll know what's going on there...I didn't want to make it obvious or anything, but it wasn't insignificant either. I probably just gave it away somehow, I'm horrible at this lol Anyways, I hope you enjoy it! I'd love a review to hear what you think :) Also, this is kind of off topic but I have to share this. It's a song that is just beautiful I'm listening to it right now and I can't get enough. It's called To Build a Home. The music is done by The Cinematic Orchestra and the song is sung by Patrick Watson, who has such a unique and incredible voice. It's on youtube, entitled To Build A Home - The Cenematic Orchestra. Take a listen, it's brilliant. Alright, enough of my babbling, enjoy the story and have a good one!:D **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight, but Stephenie Meyer sure does! **

**Science vs. Faith**

**The Never Ending Battle**

I have never had the need to 'Google' information in regards to an observation or a subject in order to make more sense of things, for usually things are made quite clear by the subject's body language. However, in the case of the Cullens, Google has been a tool I have reluctantly turned to for answers. Today, the answers I am in search of are in regards to telepathy.

According to Webster's online dictionary, telepathy can be defined as: "apparent communication from one mind to another without using sensory perceptions."

Already, a flaw has shone through for telepathy is anything but apparent. It is something that cannot be seen or proven on the spot, therefore it is not apparent at all. In the case of Edward Cullen, despite a smile in my direction, nothing else could have signalled to his 'apparent' telepathy. And the more I consider this simple gesture of stopping to smile back at me, the more I realize it's just that; a simple gesture. I've seen it done many times at the end of a conversation, when one party turns to smile once more at the other. There is nothing suspicious about it.

The twitch, however, now that is questionable. It could have been a coincidence that he flinched the moment I thought the words 'I know your secret', but maybe it was just an uncontrollable muscle twitch. It all could have been coincidental. The worst part of it is there is no proof, no way of knowing whether it was just one big coincidence, or whether this telepathy thing really exists and that Edward Cullen is capable of it.

This simply adds to the never ending frustration in regards to the Cullen subjects. Nothing ever adds up with them, nothing seems right, yet there's no concrete evidence to prove otherwise. The frustration makes me long for the answer to their mystery even more. Thus, I've given in to this possibility of telepathy and used the almighty 'Google' to search for any scientific ties to the ability.

Quantum physics was, essentially, all about energy and how atoms and electrons interact. In this circumstance, the idea of mind reading almost made logical sense to me. There was one sentence in particular that stood out to me that spoke about wave-particle duality and actually made this telepathy business make concrete, logical sense:

"If the velocity of the electron is thought of as its wavelength, the crests of neighbouring electron waves amplify or cancel each other."

I imagined Edward and I as two electrons orbiting an atom at different wavelengths, as were the rest of the student body, all encircling this atom that I envisioned as Forks High. Everyone's energy is interacting, some people move up to other wavelengths and others move down or are cancelled out completely. The further I am from Edward, the more impossible it is for our energies to interact, but when it's just the two of us the flow of energy is inescapable.

Now throw in the mind reading. The first day I saw Edward, I was sure he read my mind. But after that, there were no signs of it until today. What if we were simply too far apart for it to take place, for him to pick up on my energy? That is, hypothetically speaking, if he could read minds and in fact did hear my thoughts.

So, when I'm crowded by other electrons and their energy, mine gets cancelled out, which means Edward can't pick up on it. But when we're alone or close enough for our two energies to interact, he can hear my thoughts.

However, other than my own understanding and twisting of quantum theory in relation to telepathy, nothing I read could in fact prove the existence of it. Perhaps it was because the kind of telepathy described and scientifically proven was not the same as the one I was seeking an explanation for. The telepathy described in the countless essays and websites I had encountered on my search was one based on perceptiveness from a distance, like a bad feeling about someone who isn't with you. And a lot of it was studied using twins, which Edward Cullen is not.

So, whether Edward heard my thoughts or not is still up in the air. While my own theories make sense, I'm not sitting here with a PhD in quantum physics, so I can't hold much merit to it. Still, something makes me never want to be alone with Edward, just in case. And I suppose I'd have to watch my thoughts during Biology too, since there are less electrons to interfere with my energy, so to speak.

Does this mean Edward can, in fact, read the thoughts of others? No, but it certainly does make it all make logical sense. It could be, but it doesn't mean that it is.

On another note, I must report on the latest interaction between my two prime subjects, Bella Swan and, of course, Edward Cullen. After observing a conversation in the hallway of the hospital after Bella's almost-death, I've come to the conclusion that there is the possibility that Bella knows Edward's secret. I can't be sure just yet, but it is a speculation. They spoke in hushed tones and Bella mentioned that she was lying about something for Edward, to cover up for him.

Now, as mentioned in previous journals, I wonder if mingling with a subject would be beneficial. Perhaps developing a friendship with Bella would create a trust between us in which she would share Edward's secret with me. Even the greatest secret keepers burst open their safes.

***

Anxiety and paranoia filled every crevice of my being as I walked through the halls to my classes on the days following the accident. While I still did not hold much to the idea of mind reading, having worked it into a scientific, logical scenario made me extremely nervous of the possibility of it. My ideas on the matter could be completely bogus, but it made sense to me and that scared the hell out of me. Anything I give a thought to as I weave through the halls, the huddle of girls giggling to my right or the massive mud stain on the hem of someone's jeans, all of it will be sent to Edward Cullen's mind if he's close enough and if I think them loud enough for him to hear. The commentary in my mind about the happenings going on around me was no longer a private joke, now I had an audience. When I knew Edward wouldn't be around, I was a bit more relaxed, although still on guard, but during lunch and Biology there was no escape.

On the day following the accident, most of the chatter going around was about the accident and everyone was pummelling Bella for the story. But, when her story ceased to change and it was always the same – Edward was standing nearby and pulled her out of the way – people got bored and stopped asking. After a week it was as if the accident never happened, it was smoothed over, erased from the past, never to see the light of the present again. Even the interaction between Edward and Bella had ceased after the accident.

Bella uttered a friendly hello to Edward the day after the accident, to which he nodded coldly and then ignored her. He continued to ignore her for weeks after that. I began to think that the accident had caused a rift in the atmosphere, that it was some cosmic event that zapped everything back into order.

When Bella arrived, everything in Forks had changed, there was someone new coming in and it disrupted our lives. Relationships were broken and new ones were formed, hopes were crushed and jealousies erupted, and most importantly, a once obscure family's facade was shattering upon the new girl's arrival. The Cullen's, once a puzzle I could never put together suddenly revealed some of its valuable pieces, all because of Bella. Could the car accident have been some supernatural way of the world correcting itself, of a way to get rid of her and restore order? Because, now that the accident seems like a blurry dream of the past, the dynamics of the student body has returned to the way it used to be _before_ Bella. The Cullen's were themselves again, distant and separate from the rest of the students, who lived in their own oblivious little world. And then there was me, somewhere on the outskirts of both, not really belonging to one or the other. What was the cosmic reason for me?

This supernatural, mind reading, mystical, coo-coo crap was completely distorting the way I'm registering things in my mind. I need to stick to science, the one thing that could never lie, that will always tell me the simple truth without loopholes and exceptions. Facts are facts, nothing more and nothing less, which is what I love about them.

But still, something continued to caution me to monitor my thoughts, to think in code just in case. It was ridiculous and I almost wanted to laugh at the silliness of it all, but still during Biology I restricted my thoughts to 'ohs' and 'ahs', dripping any slip ups with snippets of old memories and useless facts.

To say the month to follow the accident was dull is an understatement. Nothing was happening, everything was back to the way it always was and worst of all, the Cullens were back to their rigid, cold, distant selves. Bella seemed to delve deeper into Jessica Stanley's group of friends, although she didn't always seem too thrilled about it. I couldn't understand why she chose to hang out with them, she seemed so different, more substantial. But I suppose that's why Mike clung to her like mould on bread, because she wasn't like the other girls.

Things started to liven up in March, when the girl's choice spring dance loomed closer. The tension hovering through the air was unbearable. Girls were frantically running around, gushing about how to ask –insert cute boy name here – to the dance, guys were freaking out about whether – insert cute girl name here – was going to ask them, and most interestingly, Jessica Stanley was worrying about Bella and whatever interest she had in Mike and how it could ruin her chances with him.

I just happened to be standing by when she was discussing her misfortune with Angela. Okay, so maybe I was eavesdropping, but does the means by which I get my information really that important?

"So, I asked him..." Jessica said to Angela as she opened her locker, her expression not like the cheery, fake and scheming one I'm so used to seeing on her.

"What happened?" Angela asked, genuinely concerned.

"He said he 'had to think about it'. Can you believe that?" She said with finger quotations.

"Oh, Jess, I'm so sorry." Angela put a reassuring hand on Jessica's shoulder. I actually, sort of felt bad for her in that moment. I mean, yeah she's kind of, well, bitchy, but she had feelings like the rest of us. She's been head over heels for Mike for the longest time, it was kind of sad to see her so crushed. A little pitiful, but sad.

"Whatever, I mean, it's not like he said _no_. Right?" She asked, still hanging on to the last shred of hope she had for any kind of romantic relationship with Mike.

"Yeah, of course!" Angela smiled, but I think she knew what a lost cause it was. It was very clear Mike was all over Bella and that he had hoped to she'd ask him. It would be interesting if she did, I wonder how Jessica would take that.

I got my answer to that later when Mike spilled the beans in Biology. He explained the situation with Jessica and what his answer to her was, to which Bella disapproved and encouraged him to say yes. He then revealed that he'd been hoping Bella would ask him, to which she broke the news that she wasn't going to the dance at all, that she was going to be in Seattle. I was a little disappointed by the news because that means once of my subjects would be out of the picture for an entire weekend and without one I can't properly observe the other. Bummer.

Mike's ego crushing wasn't what caught my attention, but rather Edward's behaviour during the conversation. I mean, maybe I'm reading too much into this but he seemed to be kind of interested in what Bella had to say when Mike asked her to ask him to the dance. Edward hadn't so much as looked at Bella for an entire month, but once Mike left he actually turned to look at her. Was he jealous? Did he secretly wish she would have asked him? I guess she won't be asking anyone, since she claims to be going to Seattle, but it doesn't mean Mike and whoever else wanted her to ask them won't be wounded or that Edward would be any less jealous because of it. Maybe he wasn't jealous, I couldn't tell and I tried not to think about it too much just in case, but it kind of seemed like it.

I noticed Edward's eyes were black when I caught a glimpse of his profile as he was staring at Bella. The minute I thought the word 'black' I linked it with 'board' so he'd think I was concentrating on the lesson. I felt so stupid, but it gave me a peace of mind to know my thoughts were still mine in some way.

Class droned on after that, and I was getting tired of hiding my thoughts so I decided not to think at all. It seems impossible, but with a window seat it's not hard to get lost in the view outside, however wet and mucky that view is. When the bell rang something beautiful flourished and I would have revelled in every second of its beauty, had it not been for the crappy timing. I could only stall for so long until it would seem too suspicious, plus when nobody is around it's easy to glance at the only other person at the room which would give me away without question. So I gathered my things and stood outside the doorway.

Edward's behaviour was very strange. He initiated the conversation with Bella, but when she asked if he was talking to her again he said no. What the heck does that mean? What was the point in saying hello if you aren't necessarily talking to a person? I kind of felt like going in there and dragging Bella out to save her from the mediocrity. Maybe it was my resentment towards Edward for is maybe mind reading, or maybe I actually worried for Bella's emotional well being, whatever it was, it took a bit of restraint to keep myself out from marching in there.

Bella then said something that kind of shocked me. She claimed that Edward regretted saving her. It was something I hadn't necessarily considered, but now that she mentions it, it kind of does seem that way. He's been ignoring her for an entire month, if that doesn't scream regret then I don't know what does.

Edward then surprised me by defensively saying Bella didn't know anything. So he didn't regret saving her? But why this sudden coldness toward her? Was it about the secret she's keeping for him? Did he think cutting all ties with her would keep it from coming out?

I found myself dragging my nails up and down my left arm, literally itching to know what on earth was going on between those two.

Bella started walking towards the door, which was my cue to skedaddle. I walked away, debating whether I should go to gym. I suppose I should make an appearance, considering I've only gone to class like six times in the past month.

Coach Clapp glared at me as I passed to go to the changing room, annoyance clear on his face. I guess I haven't been the most cooperative student, but seriously if I have to play volleyball one more time I might explode.

When I stepped into the gym I noticed it was basketball day. Great, more hard balls for Bella to whack me in the head with. At least I'm kind of a decent basketball player, so it won't be too horrible.

A group of girls were whispering around me and I knew instantly they were talking about me. I could hear them as they fussed over which one would approach me.

"No, you do it. She's –"

"Sh, just go tell her!"

I could see Britney now in my peripheral vision as she hesitantly approached me. These people act like I belong in a mental institution, like I'm unstable or something. Just because I don't talk much doesn't mean I'm psycho.

"A-Annie?" She stuttered. I turned to meet her gaze. She looked... _scared_. Were people actually scared of me? Is that how they saw me?

"Yeah?" I asked, sounding as timid as a mouse. God, can I just speak with a smidgen of confidence for once?

"Um, we just wanted to let you know, uh, that we're going to try to avoid passing the ball to Bella. She's a little clumsy and uncoordinated so we just try to work around her, so..."

Her eyes were on my feet the entire time. It broke my heart a little to know people thought of me this way. I mean, I never really cared when they avoided me because I just thought they never really saw me, like I was invisible. But to know that people really do notice me and see me in this totally wrong way was disheartening.

"No problem. I learned that lesson the hard way on her first day." I said with a smile and even a hint of a laugh. Britney looked up at me and smiled then, like she was pleasantly surprised.

"Yeah, she hit you in the head, right?" She asked, smiling and engaging in a normal conversation with me. Oh my God. I was having a regular, teenage girl conversation! Me! Annie McCord, talking to someone without sweaty palms or a quiet, barely there voice, I was actually doing this!

"Yeah, I had a bump for like, a week." I said, rubbing my hand where the bump once was. She laughed. She kept her smile and opened her mouth to say something.

"Hey, uh – "

"Brit, come on! We're picking teams!" Jenna hollered, one of the girls from Britney's group of friends.

"Yeah, I'll be right there!" She called back. Then she turned to me. "Well, I'll see you around, Annie."Britney smiled and then jogged over to her friends.

I'll never know what it was she wanted to tell me, or whether I could actually have made a friend out of her. I never realized how lonely I was in that moment. All of those years of solitude, of grieving, and I missed out on the joys of having others to share your life with. I wondered then, if I hadn't dwelled on my mother's death like I had, if I would have tried to move on, maybe I could have developed bonds with people who could have made me stronger and helped me to live again. Maybe I could have been my old self again if I would have just let somebody, anybody in.

But, there's no point in worrying about it now. I made my bed and now I'll have to lie in it. That's life, I guess.

I was more than relieved when gym was over and that I could finally go home. As I was walking to the parking lot I overheard Eric Yorkie asking Bella to the dance. I started to sense a pattern here and wondered which boy would ask Bella to the dance. So much for girl's choice.

There was a delay going out of the parking lot because of the traffic jam Edward was causing. He pulled out in the middle of the road and then stopped to wait for his slow moving family. I was stuck behind Tyler, who was waving to Bella, who was stuck directly behind Edward. Was this some kind of cheesy ploy of Edward's to get Bella to ask him to the dance? Will this be bachelor number three? I rolled my eyes and let out a huff as I impatiently waited for Edward's Volvo to speed away.

Tyler then got out of his car and tapped on Bella's passenger side window. Seriously now? Does she really need a fourth guy asking her to the dance? Did they not get the memo that she wouldn't be in town?

I noticed Alice, Jasper, Rosalie and Emmett piling into the Volvo and got ready to go. I looked forward and noticed Edward's laughing face in his side view mirror. Did Edward and Tyler plan this out or was this just an incredible coincidence? Edward seemed to enjoy Tyler's rejection and Bella's annoyance. It reminded me of kindergarten when little boys would call little girls names and throw rocks at them to show they liked them. He was enjoying getting on Bella's nerves and that she was rejecting every guy that was pretty much his competition for Bella's heart, although standing next to Edward, there is no competition.

Later that night, as I was passing through the kitchen to grab a drink, I noticed Bella cutting something, but looking a bit distracted. It didn't take a genius to know she was racking her brain about Edward. I knew that all too well, for I've been doing it for two years. Maybe we should start a club.

I went upstairs afterwards to bask in the serenity of my room and its new color: blackberry. It felt even safer now and much warmer. It was easier to drift off to sleep. It was still kind of early, about eight, but I couldn't help but allow myself to succumb to the sleepiness.

When I woke up it was still dark out. I checked my clock and sure enough it was still night time, 1:17 AM to be exact. I had a feeling going to sleep so early would come back to bite me. I felt so groggy and was still half asleep. I got up, my movements heavy and robotic, as I made my way to the bathroom. It felt like I was sitting there for hours, but when I got back to my room the clock informed me it was only 1:21AM. I just stood there in the middle of my room, facing my window and stared at it. I was breathing slowly and heavily, my eyes barely blinking. I was about to fall back into bed when I noticed something moving outside. It looked like it was on the Swan house. I started to imagine a tree branch smacking against a window pane and figured it was that, until I realized the house in my mind was nothing like the Swan's and that there was no tree outside of her window. I'm dreaming, I think. Yeah, definitely. I've had ones like this before, sort of, the burglar ones. Except, normally I'm not watching, I'm actually in it and it's my house being burglarized. It was so weird watching it happen from afar like this. You'd think I'd be used to it, being an observer and all, but in my dreams I'm always the leading lady, never off into the distance like this. I felt so powerless too, like I couldn't move or speak, no matter how much I wanted to run for help. So I just stood there, teetering from side to side fighting fatigue as I watched it all happen.

This burglar was incredible, as sleek as a jungle cat as he dangled from the eave above the window, landing gracefully on his feet when he let himself drop. He then slid the window open and went in, with not so much as a creek. Or maybe there was one? I couldn't really hear anything, to be honest.

Before I knew it I was bouncing from the impact of my body falling on to my springy mattress.


End file.
